HOW SOCIALISTS SAVED VIENNA
HOW SOCIALISTS SAVED VIENNA ^ J^Qr ^jj ^ peQpie Rising on the Ruins Witalism Brought Upon 2,000,000 Souls EVERY morning just before* > the departure* of the train « man with a crammed...
...Moreover, one must not forget that this is in the unfortunate, poverty-stricken, tottering Austria, where the uncrowned King, the, commissar of the League of Nations, sits on the throne and l s y s his heavy hand upon the whole budget of the Government, prevents the Austrian Parliament from independently fixing its budget, orders the closing of some institutions and the cramping of others, and to forth...
...In 1919 elections t» the Vienna city administration teak place...
...For the erection of the new s t r u c t u r e s the Socialists have their own mortar pla.its end brick kilns, special factories for window frames and door sashes, quarries, limestone pits and all the necessary establishments...
...It is utterl impossible to give a full account of all the things accomplished by the Social-Democratic administration In this field...
...Are they geniuses or wizards...
...a dental clinic, schools for nur-fs, special homes for children i who frecse in the Winter tisat'S Winter sports and many others...
...Late in the after-1 city would sink into dark-1 ness...
...It uk«M the train no more than twelve minutes to reach Vienna, but all this time the unusual men •it* bent over hie writing table, hie kneaa, and worki...
...He then- be-•»me the banker of a giant city, *nd he set out to make money...
...Tin streets were filled with beggars, cripples, homeless orphans, unfortunate women who offered to sell, the last of their belongings—their bodies...
...But how...
...The bourgeois administration did not levy taxes on whiskey, but on water...
...It, however, exacted an enormous f a r e in street cars which yielded the city treasury 1 clear profit of 46,000,000,000 crowns...
...of the tenants of Vienna...
...Breitner was confronted, or rather ha confronted himself, with a simple query: what, for instance, Would happen if he enlisted all the Seal of the pursuit of money, all his Kill and expe/iencJ in making money, in the service of the whole society, of the' whole nation instead of individuals...
...Carnival Taxed To Aid Orphans In the cernival days, in the year 1923, Breitner collected 1,1 HO,000,-000 crowns (71,000 crowns to the dollar) from the people who Ailed the restaurants and cabarets...
...I Breitner procure-' enough money to supply g r a t i s text books, tools, and even reading books for all the pupils of the city schools...
...There, likewise, is the funds mental democratic and socialistic ides of Breitner's policy and of the policy of the Vienns sdministrstion genrrslly Hsving the support of the mssses to lesn upon, Breitner achieves sceomplishments considered by the capitalistic politicians »s miracles...
...Under the present administration the Vienna street cars are the loweat priced conveyances in the world, being twice as cheap as in the most prosperous years in peaceful time under bourgeois rule...
...From everywhere, wherever it was possible to get it...
...The texts or autoa covered] the expanses of, feeding 200 chile dren In kindergartens, and t0,O0Q in public and high schools...
...wrapped up in the mysteries of the financial world...
...The Vienna Socialists have proved that it is not enough to talk of Socialism...
...Breitner also finds money to subsidize a r t i s t s , to preserve ancient churches and temples, to enlarge and beautify parks and gardens, to bestow prizes for art works, exhi...
...The Social Democrstic city administration of Vienna did and is still doing just the opposite...
...The war, the disintegra-«»n of the Austro Hungarian mon-f%, and the reign of the hourly* cliques had turned the big afc »f Vienna into a cemetery...
...whereas Socialism says to the unemployed : " I have plenty of work .or you and will pay you for it, as I am not in pursuit of money...
...An inquiry waa instituted and thenceforth Rothschild had to pay a much greater tax than he had paid for the auto...
...To be sure, it caused a great deal of dissatisfaction snr* protests...
...At an election meeting in October, 1923, Breitner solemnly promised t h a t at the time of the next elections, that is, in 1928, 25,000 new dwellings would be r e a d ) , besides stores, warehouses, shops and all other appurtenances indispensable for so large a new city...
...institutes fat teaching trades...
...Indeed, merciless, murderously cold, because deep in his heart glowed an anient love for the suffering masses and because he passionately loved the gay, beautiful city of Vienna...
...At eight in the evening the restaurants and cafes would shut their doors...
...The Austrian Central Government succeeded in making financial ends meet only through selling its independence and by relinquishing a s e ries of vital and indispensable institutions...
...He was a brilliant financial operator, a master mind in banking affairs...
...For the office of the Alliance of the Banke of Vlenne the tax is $41,000 a yeer...
...They have demonstrated that Socialism is a substantial thing, that it means work, construction, sense, honesty and faithfulness...
...4C«y wmed to Die _ The magnificent, lustrous, gay 'Wnna had suddenly been turned t»n enormous shadow with disced starvation as its dominant •res...
...The Favorite Of the People He could not become reconciled to the thought that the charming city, with its lively, cultured population, should be extinguished at the time when all the old and new money-bags, the Rothschilds and Costiliones, all the speculators and swindlers, were bathing in luxury and debauchery...
...The chief load of the tax is placed upon the backs of the exceedingly rich...
...If you wish and are in a position to have your own automobile, you may do so, but pay taxes for it...
...People are flocking from all sides to behold the miracle...
...Tens of thousands of officers were discharged...
...The city of Vienna now sustains five times as many beds for tubercular patients as the whole of the A ustro Hungarian monarchy had before the war...
...Dosens of similar example* are...
...Not many large cities in Europe can demonstrate so flourishing a state of finances...
...In 1913 the bourgeois city administration charged the inhabitants for every drop of water they used...
...The city sank into filth...
...At die moment t*t train arrivea at the city the man hardly makes for the Vienna Jhlthoase and there he becomes lost Who is he...
...The SociaUDemocrats •** received a majority of the *«hjsnd they gained the adminis-tastfon of a city with 2,000,000 in-kaMtants, whereas th« population ft Austria is no more than 4,000,-W).' Breitner waa assigned to the sdministration *of the flnancas of ** city of Vienna...
...The Socialist city administrstion at present allows free of charge t h i r t y - five gallons of water a day per person...
...He only told him: "Listen, brother...
...Rothschild's Taxes Raised Breitner knew of no fatigue...
...When the "•clal-Democrats had taken charge « the administration of the city of TJenna (in place of the Social jjariitiani) they found only desola-*»» in the economical situation of *• city...
...How did he accomplish this miracle...
...Whereas the Government had only functionaries...
...Vienna, nevertheless, saw where he put eway the money "robbed" from the wealthy taxpayers...
...Such a tax is paid by the great majority...
...The streets ware not illuminated...
...He became the favorite of the people of Vienna...
...After the revolution in Austria ¦J city of Vienna obtained the •Jfbt of a separate country (home *¦'«), that is, the right of levying •perate taxes and in addition the Pfht to a part of the taxes of the Rational Government...
...The city asylums evicted the children into the streets, as they were unable to feed them anyway...
...He cloaely observed how multi-million fortunea wtrn horn, lived and passed away...
...In this lies the colossal historical importance of the work of our Vienna comrades...
...In the first year the building of 8,426 houses was begun, and for the second year, that is, 1925, a sum for 1,000 new houses has already been appropriated...
...The way was found by Breitner, tho/^hjghway robber," the "inexorable cut-throat," the "sadist," as he was vilified with foam at their mouths by the heads of the wealthy classes...
...With the capitalists Breitner was only a skillful bank director...
...Hence, Breitner promised t h a t in the course of five years he would create a new city for at least 100,000 inhabitants...
...No, never in his life...
...However, if Rothschild kept so large a number of servants that he needed an auto-truck for furnishing them with fooo, then why did he pay so meager a tax (or hie servants...
...He unswervingly followed the straight road...
...A Taw on Sereant Girls Breitner likewise inaugurated a tax.on dwellings...
...I t is to be r e g r e t t e d that there are still many people who reason that it is impossible to introduce Socialism quietly, peacefully...
...There is one more of the Vienna • Socialist activities to be mentioned : —the schools for children...
...Breitner did his work quietly, without fuss...
...Quite simple...
...itions and many other objects...
...Breitner's taxes do not flow into the genersl Government treasury only to be later used for whstever will be deemed necessary...
...Under so pathetically hard circumstances Visnna succeeded in being free ' . ' T O * foreign donations and foreign control...
...The problem, however, cannot be solved by subsidies and charities...
...The Socialist city administration does not aim at profits...
...Breitner was not bound and fastened with class-ties to the capitalists, and the Central' Government, was an integral part of the classes that fattened themselves at the expense of the people's distress and poverty...
...Breitner was heart and sou...
...Pondering over all these things, one is unwillingly confronted with the question: What sort of Socialism is this when not even a drop of blood was shed, not an arrest was made, no barricades, red army or Cheka instituted...
...You desire to eat in fashionable restaurants, you love a costly glass of wine—nobody will prevent you, if you will only pay the proper taxes foe it The richer you are and the more you Indulge in debauchery, the higher the taxes yon have to pay...
...Breitner, however, was very little affected by these things...
...Here are a few instances to illustrate how true ia the saying: "Socialists destroy and capitalists produce...
...The very same is applied even to taxes on all sorts of enter* tainment, amusements, feasts anl debaucheries, the kind of amusements, however, being taken into consideration: the finer the amusement and tha more exquisite the luxury and debauchery, the higher the tax...
...Rothfajfti paye'9,109,000,000 crowns an# QsW tllione 1525,000,000 erowna, } The tax on servant girls is as Mv lows: No tax on the.first...
...His taxes are appropriated before hand for some object, and not a c Tit may go for another cause Such objects are ever in abundance, the vital importance of which is Obvious to everybody and no one with a wee bit of conscience dares murmur against a tax for such worthy causes...
...The capitalist world grew indignant...
...The expenditures for such matters amounted In 1924 to approximately 600,000,000 (or $7,-013,878...
...How did -he succeed in what the Central Government had failsd...
...It comprises all sorts of hospitals, various asylums, homes for the aged, sanitariums for consumptives, for alcoholics, for cripples, nervous and mental diseases...
...The factories, on account of a shortage in coal and electric power, had gradually to discontinue operations...
...The famous architect, Biber, a bitter opponent of Socialism, admitted openly that "these houses were designed unusually well and their object was achieved as never y e t - b e f o r e ." No wonder the Vienna Socialists pride themselves upon their new edifices...
...Thest three taxpayers yield I2'» per cent of the total amount of the tax oa dwellings in Vienna...
...With the Socialists he is the center, the head of a gigantic creative work In the Interests of 2,000,000 people and of the f u t u r e of a great city...
...What sort of a man is he...
...Breitner, on the contrary, succeeded in obtsining the taxes for the city of Vienna in their f u l l value...
...There were great . sums of money still in the hands of the pre-war capitalists, financial magnates, great merchants and speculators...
...The bourgeoisie let loose its caricaturists against Breitner, and they shot their arrows at bim...
...Where-from...
...Beautiful Vienna was agonising...
...The schools were closed one after another...
...Breitner the/i replied at a large mass meeting that the money gathered from those who hed entertained end enjoyed themselves would go for the upkeep of 110 orphans In the city's orphan asylum for a fulf year...
...There is where Breitner's power lies...
...tlonal one 2,600,000 eiiifind above the, lest one...
...Breitner's fund, the city treasury, grew enormously...
...He speedily slips into a car, retires into a nook, and in an instant half of the papers of his portfolio are lying spread on hie knees, and he is intensely engrossed in reading them...
...the street cars daily decreased their service...
...The villain Breitner has so flayed him, and in order to avoid his arrest by the police he pasted on his body all sorts of tax-stamps...
...This was the case with the Austrian Central Government, too...
...Breitner stated tale waa Just the «um accessary to provide the 800 children left by their par* enta without any prorieion and the city had to take care of them...
...The lofty idesl of Socialism is reflected in their outward form...
...My object is to provide comfort and convenience for large masses, for the Vtfcatt majority of the people...
...A Banker Turned Socialist Hugo Breitner is his name...
...a fuse that the money of the public treasury goes for the nwlaQSi nance of the Social Demowattl party and 90,000 democratic proper gendista...
...2 5 , 0 00 New Dwellings Simultaneously another complicated and urgent problem is solved...
...Every tax is preordained by Breitner to be applied to a definite purpose...
...Breitner's tax on four per cent of paid-out wagea to workers snd employees elicited particular hatred on the part of the bourgeoisie...
...Breitner related further that all the expenses of the public- hoepltale for nervous diseases, aa well ee of the newly built eanltarium for al* eobolie derellcta, were defrayed ou| of the taxes on edlblea and beves) agea in one large restaurant and • few night resorts for debaucheries The Vienna Fire Department wei maintained by the taxes on hotel rooms...
...The Profiteers Shell Out Such was the fine inheritance the Social Democrats received when they won a majority in the elections for the city administration...
...Bimple sees his friend Dimple coming out of the Rathouse naked...
...The seme holds good for restaurants: those patronized by workers are tax exempt, and those frequented by bourgeois seekers for sevoury repasts pay big taxee...
...The present city administration issues water at a loss...
...Rothschild once complained against the taxes on his auto-truck that carried food for his host of servants...
...Breitner had a well organized machine of thousands of collaborators...
...P e o p l e 's Education The Vienna Socialist sdministrstion does not content itself with schools for children in the field of public education and enlightenment In 1924 alone Brsitner expended $14,000 for the maintenance of libraries and museums, $2,534 for various performance and recital* for workers and children, $14,085 for national holidays, musical and theatrical performances, and $34,505 for supporting vsrious educational institutions...
...For an apartment that had coat in time of peace 1120 a year the tax is $2.53...
...Rothschild pays $8,362 and Costiliena $7,085 a year...
...It reopened many institutions that had Hen closed by the Central Governess nt on account of inadequate fenda Besides, the Vienna city administration has voluntarily renounced its share of Government taxes to which it is perfectly entitled according to the law...
...She maintains her own institutions, does not ask for any subsidies and does not owe anything...
...The Socialists Wm the City And Breitner set out, nn his own initiative, to find an answer to this •jesty...
...All the stores and offices would close up...
...500,001 crowns for the s«coruMHi,000,OOtt" for the, third, and tofKry tddl...
...What was the cause of it...
...There was no water, gas or electric light in the houses...
...The money collected out of this tax Is employed exclusively for public affairs...
...This year Vienna will have to import only 15 per rent of the fuel...
...At the same time, however, the number of Breitner's friends and admirers grew a thousandfold...
...The same system Is epplied to all other taxea instituted by Breitner...
...being thrown by Breitner into the face of all his adversaries, who raise...
...This betaine possil ie because the waters around the city were utilized...
...How, however, could one obtain access to these vaults of money...
...The capitalist world waa proud of Breitner...
...HOW SOCIALISTS SAVED VIENNA ^ J^Qr ^jj ^ peQpie Rising on the Ruins Witalism Brought Upon 2,000,000 Souls EVERY morning just before* > the departure* of the train « man with a crammed portfolio bulging under hia arm comes hurriedly, pRi.tir.gly, to the suburban railway station...
...Treasury Ha* No Deficit In May, 1925, the city railways, which belong to the Central Government and have been at a stand still since the beginning of the war, will stsrt operations again, The Socialist city administration is not only able to take taxes but is also able to renounce them...
...The spirit of solidarity, of democracy, of Socialism...
...In othe*- words, capitalism does not avail itself of the abilities and experience of great numbers of workers, if it cannot draw large profits from tham...
...Even if one year the disbursements happen to exceed the proceeds,' the deficit is always covered by the reserve fund that Breitner has ever in the treasury...
...Who are they, these men...
...publio bath-houees, ¦ public kitchens, aummer colonies (camps...
...Tht whole of the Vienna money aristocracy looked up to his bank wWi great rasped...
...The Jncoma at thie tax is wholly appropriated for the building of new houses with lower rent for the people...
...With his keen insight he deeply penetrated into that world where gigantic fortunes grow up easily, with-out effort...
...He was not a Bolshevik...
...The pavement in the street grew every day worse...
...For one servant gsrL for instance, the employer does aef I pay any taxes at all...
...The bourgeois administration did not assess any taxes on autos (which in Europe are considered a greet luxury), or on rich carrisges with quaint harness...
...Here is, for instance, one of their pictures...
...The owner of a thestre, for example, oomplainet that Breitner deprived him of a large sum of money in the form of extortionate tsxss...
...In the five years of the Social Democratic rule the Vienna city administration purchased 6,876,120 square meter yard^ of giound for the purpose of building cheap houses with lower r e n t s for the people In 1914 Vienna had to import from abroad 97 per cent of the fuel fur its power houses...
...In other words, what would be the result if his experience and knowledge of capitalism should be employed in the interests of Socialism...
...Breitner then ordered the repeal of the taxes on an auto that aerved so useful an object as carrying food...
...The first miracle is the following: In all countries where the currency depreciated incessantly, their Governments could not adjust themselves to the rapidly dropping value...
...Vienna was doomed to wag the prediction on all sides...
...For tb* MM ond he must pay quite e sum, Fot the third the tax leapa enormously...
...He was, however, not only an observer, but also a participant in the Impetuous, infernal game...
...The bur* den of this tax, too, ia laid chiefly on rich domiciles...
...Nevertheless, in the hands of the bourgeoisie, Vienna was in the last t h r o e s of,agony, and in those of the Social Democrats it was resurrected...
...The Socialist administration also instituted substantial improvements in sanitation and hygiene and inaugurated courses of music in many schools...
...The new houses a r e not the rented barracks of capitalism, but neat, spacious abodes constructed in conformity with the lsst word of science...
...Of the 520,000 households in Vienna only 0,698 pey taxes, and of this letter numbe...
...Breitner decided to force them to yield part of their riches for the people's urgent necessities...
...for men sifpite twice as much ee for girls...
...a whole line of institutes for the protection of mothers, for sexual ait ments, legal aid for questions at marriage relations...
...The Social-Democratic administration does the opposite...
...According to his ideas, everybody might live the way he saw fit...
...The Vienna city administration has a tremendous expense to support the unemployed...
...Larxury Foe* the Bill Whet, then, sre the miracles achieved by Breitner...
...it received from its taxpayers a litt l e amount, only a small part of what was due...
...Breitner does not let out •leases to contractors and purveyors and thus saves great amounts of money which he turns to good use...
...A student graduated from a Vienna city school is endowed not with knowledge alone but likewise with a great nuinbe, of necessary books for a home library...
...J* the bast, it was presumed, there *°«ld be one way out for Vienna— f Mcorna a center for speculators ^jrisettes for the Balkan eoun. V^ii in,, i„dCcd, on the thresh-g « death...
...His eye reach*.' all over, and It was impossible to evade any kind of taxes...
...Among the Viennese bourgeois there will certainly be fo tnd more able and more learned men than the Social Democrats...
...He lost no time and started to amass money in the city treasury...
...A new city is growing—the work of the will and spirit of organized Libor...
...J»men, therefore, advised the fwusl transport of the population ?""» Vienna, last they be starved...
...AaUenly a thunderbolt hurtled 4e»ttae skv: Breitner turned So eM-t^mocrat All the poWer of his acumen, all the energy of hia Iron will, all Mi financial experience— everything Breitner placed at the service of the organized Labor class...
...The former bourgeois city administration extracted from the city population 216,000,000,000 paper crowns in clear profit...
...because BreitriaT wai accomplishing a task for the people, and the Government was tfoiajr if only for the rich...
...No, they are ordinary seventyeight Social Democrats who have against them a minority of fortytwo reactionary deputies...
...one has t o work and create it...
...You wish to have a few servants, pay texts for them...
...The great building enterprises, therefore, hava served to a copious extent to l'ssen this sore evil, and at the ssme time the standard of wages in private firms hss not suffered...
...There was money in Vienna...
...Once he was a director of a bank...
...Then Breitner entered upon the stage...
...If taxes were not speedily collected, If, for Instance, one week was let pass, then the collected amount ef money was worth much less thsn a week ago, which meant that smsller sums were collected than was expected...
...Breitner immediately replied that for this money a public bath-house was built in a poor quarter of the city...
...City Railways to Resume Among tbe new achievements of the Social Democrats the foremost place must bo accorded to t h e domiciles for the needy population...
...There were people who had grown rich out of the war and those who had fattened at the expense of the people's distress...
...In the first place Breitner adopted thi chief precept of the capitalist Wrld: Nothing can be accomplished wJtnent money...
...Some Socialist Miraclee The Vienna city administration is never behind in money, has no deficits, and gets along without foreign loans...
...Even surrounded by the sea of enemies, the capitalists and their adjut a n t s , one can create a society that is considerably nearer to Socialism, that endeavors to live in a more sensible and useful r a y , in a cooperative way...
...In the carnival days of ' 1024 Breitner collected from the celebrating crowds 9,642,000,000 crowns (129,141), Three Vienna 'operetta theetrea pais) in the course of four months 2,140,000,000 crowns...
...Breitner la stem and pitiless, Hia policy, however, ie not of the Bolshevist sort: "Despoil the *ee-bera of their loot" Breitner's tax aystem is framed according to the strictest principles of progress...
...They have also proved t h a t Socialism is more creative than capitalism and t h a t t h e red flag that flutters over the Vienna Rathouse is not a flag of war and destruction but of peace and creation...
...Epidemics spread like wildfire...
...Breltner's attitude towards these classes was...
...Ha adhered to one rule: Without money nothing can be done...
...The tax oa business offices and industrial a*> terprises is thrice as much as on abodes of the same price...
...Formidable unemployment has lately existed in Austria...
...only two houses ••> Rothschild's with forts' servants and Costllione's with seventeen—pey one-third of JM Whole tax on servants...
Vol. 2 • March 1925 • No. 13
