F!.S INCE
SM
diture vinder this law is in part balanced by the diminished activities of the ' bureaux de bienfaisance ' in assisting invalids under 60 years of The Old-Age Pensions Law of April 5, 1910, as amended on February 112, provides for all wage-earners old-age pensions towards which both employers and workers contribute. Contributions are to be paid np to the 60th year of the worker's life, and the State will contribute 100 francs. This sum will be increased by one-tenth for every insured worker who has brought up 3 children of the age of 16. On December 31, 1913, 8,011,138 persons were registered under the scheme.
A law of March 24, 1873, provide* protection for new-born infants. In 1913 iu 82 departments there were 77,829 such infants who came within the scope of the law. Iu 1913 two fuither laws were introduced: that of Juue 17 to give relief, varying from - 50 to 150 francs per day, to women in confinement, and that of July 14 to give relief to families with numerous children. The rate is between 60 and 90 francs for every child beyond the third.
I.
Finance.
State F:n
The following figures do not include the budget rur ressourcts spSriales, and represent the actual verified revenue (inclusive of loans) and expenditure for 4 years : —
Receipts
Expenditure
Surplus
Francs
Francs
Francs
Franc*
1910
4,273,890,789
4,321,918,609
—
45,027,820
1912
4,857,491,193
12, 756,094
114,735.099
—
1913
5,091,744,959
5,066,931,220
24,813,738
—
1914
4,405,708.150
7,647,207,590
—
3,241,499,440
The accounts of revenue and expenditure of the Government officials are examined by a special administrative tribunal (Cour des Comptet), instituted in 1807.
From 1914 to 1917 there were no annual budgets, the financial re- quirements of the country being provided for by rotes of credit. For 1918, 1919, and 1920 budgets were introduced. The following table gives details of the votes of credit and of the budget estimates : —
Tear
1914 1
1916
1916
1917
1918
1919
Military and
special Expenditure
Francs 6,400,925.761 18,455,406,7M) 27,240,404,259 34,065,809,126 44,047,748,069 35,811,SS9,M2
Expenditure on the debt
Francs
59,626,768
3.333,01'. BIS 4^88,408.400 !,< B7,877,8Sfl
7,98«,823,151
Other expenditure
Francs
128,881,725
2,449,688,102
2.371.725,081
2,750,104,103 3,401,679,123 5,228 374,327
Total
Francs 6,5^9,484,249 O.SOMSS.SS
i S2,945,145,U9 41.679,599,629 54,537,105,100 49,026,587,140
Total
160,021,683,647 25,220,223,7.4 16,830,450,411 207,562.357,812
1 August to December.
