|
|
|
|
|
Public expenditure rose sharply after World War I. In this way, although in 1914 it did not exceed 624,793,533 drachmae, in 1924 it rose to 5,514,907,608 drachmae. Moreover, the number of civil servants doubled during a period of 10 years; from 37,660 in 1915 it rose to 72,610 in 1924. On the other hand the total of their income rose from 72,728,855 drachmae in 1915 to 1,444,669,701 drachmae in 1924. Of course, increases in salary fell short of the rise in prices, since the drachma lost its value 12 1/2 times between 1915 and 1925. Taxes doubled during that decade. As Á. Ándreadis observed: "Let's look at the tax per capita: 215 million distributed to 4,900,000 inhabitants (1915) yield 43 drachmae per capita, 6,044 million distributed to 6,300,000 (1925) yield 927 drachmae. In other words, while the currency has been devalued by 12 1/2 times, the per capita tax increased by 21 1/2, that is, by analogy almost double".
The cost of the campaign in Asia Minor was dealt mostly with a domestic forced loan. In April 1922 the government partitioned the banknotes converting 50% of their value into government bonds with 6,5% interest rate. This forced loan, which would not be the last, treasured 950,000,000 drachmae and together with the circulation of a new banknote, the total sum added up to 1,500,000 drachmae.
|
|