[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/p6PPXJq.jpg[/img]
[h2][color=red][b]The Imperium of Hiron[/b][/color][/h2][/center]

[b][u]To Rival Majestic[/u][/b]

With the news of Zellonia's new designs for the [i]Majestic[/i] class of pre-dreadnought having reached the Imperium not long ago, the Emperor found himself annoyed that a second-rate Continental nation was working on battleships that overshadowed the Imperium's own [i]Taizen[/i] class. Because of this, it was decided to commission a design competition among the various naval companies of the Imperium to design a new pre-dreadnought that essentially equaled if not slightly surpassed [i]Majestic[/i]. It was the Emperor's personal hope that the companies would rise to the challenge and then some, potentially leaving [i]Majestic[/i] well behind, but the Imperium did not expect some massive leap forward in battleship technology. Surpassing Zellonia in all regards navally was a point of national pride.

[b][u]The 1901 Budget[/u][/b]

With the coming of the new year meant a new budget for the Imperium. It was decided that the tax rate would be as follows:
[list]
[*]Poor: 3.0%
[*]Middle: 7.0%
[*]Rich: 9.0%
[/list]
In short, the poor would be taxed 2% less, the middle class would receive a greater tax burden of 2% more, and the rich would receive 4% more taxes in 1901 than 1900. The Emperor was careful to make a series of statements and speeches that the greater tax burden on those more well-off was necessary for the future of the Imperium, and that no more taxes would be added for at least ten more years. It was an accepted fact however that people would not be happy about the increased taxes, but hopefully the poor would appreciate the tax relief.

Changes to the expenses of the budget would be as follows:
[list]
[*]Infrastructure: $20,000,000 (of the amount not spent on maintenance, 20% is to develop roads, 80% for rail development)
[*]Naval Research: $30,000,000
[*]Army Research: $30,000,000
[*]Dockyards: $9,500,000 (to upgrade size to 10,000 tons)
[/list]
Education, administration, bureaucracy, and all other expenses would be untouched except to maintain parity with population or military growth.