The West German government is one of the world's richest property holders. Though it is committed to free enterprise, it controls 314 German industrial companies worth well over $1 billion, which it inherited from the Kaisers and the Nazis. These control 90% of the nation's lignite mining, 50% of its. iron-ore mining, 20% of its hard-coal mining plus much of its production of aluminum (70%), lead (42%), zinc (28%), oil (18%) and steel (5%). The state also controls 100% of the German railway (total employment: 500,000) and telegraph systems.
Last week, the government took its first real step toward selling...
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