Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 6.djvu/426

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THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

in the first class has been steadily diminishing for ten years past and the relative number of people in the third class has correspondingly been on the increase. The following table shows, for a period of eleven years, the manner in which the number of voters in the first class has steadily diminished, while

TABLE OF THE MUNICIPAL VOTERS REGISTERED IN BERLIN IN THE YEARS 1889 TO J899, AND OF THE DIVISION INTO CLASSES.

NUMBER OF THE MUNICIPAL VOTERS IN

DIVISION LIMITS.

Year.

Div. I

Div. II

Total tax sum,

Div. I.

Div. II.

Div. III.

Total.

down to

down to

M. and Pf.

M. and Pf.

M. and Pf.

1889

3,540

17,336

203,119

223,995

1,631.60

363.20

38,494,277.10

1890

3,778

17,727

236,185

257,690

1,631.60

363.20

38,494,277.10

1891

3-571

17,885

249,563

271,019

1,749.60

376.80

41,905,670.29

1892'

2,226

16,846

256,964

276,036

2,663.80

429.80

44,344,4I4-59

1893

2,045

13,049

274,048

289,142

2,956.80

597-90

44,455,616.92

1894

2,082

12,086

274,151

288,319

3,152.40

682.20

48,270,023.45

I8 9 5 8

1,486

9,867

288,638

299,991

3,891.20

781.66

43,761,979.66

1896

1,336

9,027

295,960

306,323

4,348.00

833-72

45.320,728.23

1897

1,289

8,929

303,313

313,531

4,851.00

869.20

47,890,294.62

1898

1,216

8,865

298,611

308,692

5,067.80

892.60

48,580,728.13

I899 3

691

7,740

308,517

316,948

8,333-80

1,095.40

56,057,800.93

the amount of taxes paid in order to obtain admission to the first class has steadily risen. Thus, in the year 1890 the number of persons entitled to vote in the first class was 3,778. It diminished regularly down to 691 in the year 1899. The number of voters in the second class in the year 1890 was 17,727, which diminished to less than half in the year 1899. The amount of taxes enabling one to be classed in the first class in the year 1890 was 1,631.60. In the year 1899 it was more than five times as much.

It may be said that such a condition of affairs is too much even for the very conservative sentiment of the Prussian public. It is felt that some kind of change must be made very soon, as this is too plainly and apparently a favoring of the extremely wealthy class.

'Made after the law of June 24, 1891.

After abolition of the tax on rent, and introduction of the property and munici- pal house and land tax.

'After inserting the tax rates of the fictitious persons to the amount of 5,047,600 marks.