Cost of living in German towns

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 866449027

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-93831

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Cost of living in German towns

Place of publication:: London

Publisher:: Stat. Off.

Year of publication:: 1908

Scope:: 1 Online-Ressource (LXI, 548 Seiten)

Collection:: Economics Books

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310 LEIPZIG. unoccupied dwellings in the town was less than the year before, viz., 4,719, or 3’96 per cent, of all dwellings as against 4,884, or 4 20 per cent, in October, 1904, the Statistical Office noted the decline with satisfaction as an indication of the efficacy of its warning. It is worthy of notice that 1,574, or over one- third of all the dwellings unoccupied in October, 1905, were four-roomed tenements, while 526 were three-roomed. The average yearly rent asked was £17 for the former and £12 for the latter, or, say, 6a. 6(7. and 4a. Id. per week respectively. These figures cannot be regarded as representing the average rents of working-class tenements, for, on the one hand they include a proportion of the newest and best dwellings, not intended for working-class occupation, and on the other they are based on the rents asked, which may be taken as being on the whole something higher than those ultimately obtained. While the municipality of Leipzig has so far seen no reason for taking any action with a view to increasing the supply of working-class dwellings, an important scheme has been carried on for some years by one of the many city endowments {Meyersehe Stiftung für Erbauung billiger Wohnungen), with the object of providing dwellings suitable to the needs of families with incomes of £45 to £80 per annum. Some 5,500 persons are now housed in dwellings erected by this endowment in the suburbs of Leipzig, and these dwellings are both cheaper and better than those supplied by private enterprise. The rents are fixed on the principle that, given two families with different incomes, but consisting of the same number of persons, both require the same amount of house room, and that the poorer of the two must be helped at the cost of the other, while the rent must in neither case exceed one-seventh of the family income. Hence, while the weekly rent of a flat in these tenement houses never exceeds 4s. 5d. for four rooms, nor 3s. Id. for three rooms, precisely similar flats are to be had in the same house for 3s. and 2s. 6(7. respectively, the only difference being that the dearer fiat is in each case on the first floor and the cheaper on the third. « The annual receipts from rents are sufficient to leave a surplus of 2£ to 3¿ per cent, for interest and sinking fund. House rents include no element of local rates, except the water-rate, the bulk of the municipal revenue being derived from a local income tax additional to the State income tax, and standing in a fixed ratio to the latter. All incomes exceeding £25 per annum are subject to the local income tax, which is paid twice a year and amounts in the first six months to 70 percent., and in the second six months to 65 per cent, of the State income tax. The annual amount payable in respect of local income tax in Leipzig on various rates of income up to £110 per annum is shown below :— Annual Income. Over £25 » £30 » £35 IS » 270 » £80 „ £95 to £30 ,, £35 ,, 240 „ £47 10s. 10s. to £55 to £62 10s. 10s. to £70 to £80 ,, £95 - „ £110 Amount of Local Income Tax. 2s. 8d. 4s. 0d. 5s. 5d. 8s. Id. 10s. 9d. 13s. 6(7. 17s. 6(7. 21s. 7(7. 28s. 4(7. 39s. 2(7. Retail Prices. Leipzig has become one of the principal centres of the working-class co-operative movement in Germany. There are close upon one hundred shops in Leipzig owned by co-operative distributive societies composed mainly of workpeople. One of these, the Konsumverein Leipzig-Plag witz, owns 73 shops, and had in 1906 upwards of 40,000 members, whose purchases in that year amounted to £765,000. Of the two other similar societies, one— the Konsumverein Leipzig-Mockau—with 4,600 members and 14 shops, sold £79,000, and the other—the Konsumverein Leipzig-Stötteritz—with 2,400

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