Article 23.
The expenses of the Office of the International Union shall be shared by the contracting countries. Until a fresh decision is arrived at, they cannot exceed the sum of 60,000 fr. a year. This sum may be increased, if necessary, by the simple decision of one of the Conferences provided for in Article 24.
The share of the total expense to be paid by each country shall be determined by the division of the contracting and acceding countries into six classes, each of which shall contribute in the proportion of a certain number of units, viz.:—
| 1st class | 25 units. |
| 2nd „ | 20 „ |
| 3rd „ | 15 „ |
| 4th „ | 10 „ |
| 5th „ | 5 „ |
| 6th „ | 3 „ |
These coefficients are multiplied by the number of countries of each class, and the total product thus obtained gives the number of units by which the total expense is to be divided. The quotient gives the amount of the unit of expense.
Each country shall declare, at the time of its accession, in which of the said classes it desires to be placed.
The Swiss Administration prepares the Budget of the Office, superintends its expenditure, makes the necessary advances, and draws up the annual account which will be communicated to all the other Administrations.
Article 24.
The present Convention may be submitted to revisions in order to introduce therein amendments calculated to perfect the system of the Union.
Questions of this kind, as well as those which are of interest to the Union in other respects, shall be considered in Conferences to be held successively in the countries of the Union by delegates of the said countries. The Adminis-
