i66 THE MURDER OF AGRICULTURE 



Dr Schwabach is careful to explain that they are fairly 

 representative of the conditions through the Gernrian 

 Empire. The position of this country is far less encoura- 

 ging- 



In regard to the income of the people, we find, from 

 a statistical abstract issued by the Board of Trade on 

 November 13, 1907, for the fifteen years 1891-2 — 1906, 



the following figures : 



1891-2 1906-7 



Income Taxed ^678,193,442 ^925,184,556 



or an increase of only 36 per cent, in the tax-payers' 

 income against an increase in Germany for the same 

 period of 80 Per cent. 



As regards our savings banks we are in an even worse 

 plight. 

 Our Post The annual statement of the Post Office Savings Bank 



Office ., y-i-i 1 Tinri 



Savings foi" the year 1906, which was issued on July 18 of last 

 year, shows that during the year the deposits amounted 

 to £43,980,578 and the withdrawals to £43,675,181, or an 

 increase in deposits of only £305,397, against an increase 

 in the Prussian Savings Bank for the year 1905 of up- 

 wards of £27,000,000. 



Here is a starthng revelation. One section of the Ger- 

 man Empire alone, out of its prosperity, can afford to 

 put by, in one year, out of the people's savings, the 

 enormous sum of twenty-seven millions sterling; while 

 we, out of our poverty, can only increase our savings in 

 one year by the insignificant sum of £300,000, less than 

 one-third of a million sterling. 



Commenting on this position, one of the London 

 journals said: 



