Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-11-02
DAILY LEADER.
taxation Here and in EurOpsl
THE TEIES PAID m AUSTRIA, GERMANY, FRANCE,
ENGLAND AND AMERICA
The Land Tax and Personal Tax Conn
pared with the Tax IN
this COuntryI
The Folly Of the chicago Leaders l
THE FUTURE OF THE REPU8IIGl

rebel debt, tell us lately that we are sinkin;
under an unprecedented burden of taxa
tion. These Chicago Jeremiahs not onl,
assert that our soldiers cannot fight: the
add that the people cannot bear the cost Q
the struggle for the preservation of tn
Union. If the present burden is unpre
cedented, we may hope that Gene al Nc
Clellan, il he should ever have occasion II
exhaust the resources of ststesmanship,
will not do so by saddling upon us ais
JEFF, Davis debt; though this would be {
measure appropriate for q General who
while he held command of the army, useC
TO supply the rebels almost as well as oul
own troops.
The assertions of the Mcclellan organs
concerning the taxes have, unluckily fol
them, attracted the attention of q gentle.
man somewhat better informed in that
matter than they; and he has, in an essay
too long for our columns, compared care
fully the burden laid upon US with that
borne by several nations of Europe. The
result is a good deal like the result of a
comparison of General MeClellans evil
dence and report with the facts as proved
by the concurrent testimony Of a number
| of persons of more accurate memories.
That is to say, there is difference between
the assertions of the Mcclellan journals
and the truth, which no resources of
craftsmanship, however exhausted, can re-
concile. gt
Mr.. Peters compares our burdens with
those of the Austrians for instance. There
the st mp duty on agreements of stock
companies where labor and capital are
A,l vIrnr71l ko ae
1925; in the United States it would be five
cents per sheet of the articles of agree
ment. If the capital were one million,
the stamp in Austria would cost $6,250;
here only FIVE cents per sheet. Appeals
from lower to higher court costs there
from $3.50 to $5, here but fifty cents. Bills
of sale for goods ever 81 in value pay there
duty IF fve-siIteenths of one per cent,
on the value here but one FIVE cent stamp.
Bills of sale for personal property pay
there .hve-eighths Of one per cent here a
five cent stamp. Bonds for payment of
money to order cost three and one-eighth,
and if to bearer six and d quarter times as
much as here. Mortgage bonds pay more
than twelve and 8 half times the duty
levied in the United States. Coupons, also
require to be stamped, which is not the case
with Us. An inland bill of exchange pays
duty here, if for $4,000, s., in Austria,
S8o3t The renewal of promissory note
with US So, in Austria $3I,25 for the same
value. Powers Of attorney are taxed in
Austria at rate which ia many cases
would make them Liable to moro than three
times the duty levied here on mortgages.
The Austrian land tax amounts to si,-
teen per cent. of the net products of all
land in the empire. In addition to this,
consumption tax is levied-on cattle over
one year old, for instance, 1894 per head,
and d city tax, additional, of s2 cents
head on such cattle; all other produce is
taxed in proportion. There is next
"hoUse tax of 2l2 per cent. on the annual
rental, after deducting fifteen per cent.
from the rental for repairs; then there is
q stamp duty of fve-sixteenths of one per
cent. on leases; and an income tax, paid
by the landloard, upon his receipts oi rent.
Manufacturers pay a license of from S21
10 S7sT.60, for which here ten dollars are
paid wholesale dealers pay $50 here and
from $I57.50 to S7s75O there; retailers
$40 here, and $3.50 to $525 there; intel
ligence Offices $40 here, and from $26 % to
$l52.50 there.
Salt is a monopoly of the government in
Austria; it IS sold by the government to
the people at profit Of oyer five hundred
and eighty-eight per cent. Tobacco is also
a monopoly of the government, and is
also a monopoly Of the government, and is
cold to the people at profit of from one
hundred and twenty to three hundred per
cent.
Thus it appears that the Austrians, met
on every hand by high taxes and monop-
olies, bear fer heavier burden than we
do, and that in time of peace, and with
u country not nearly as rich in resources
as ours. There remains to be added in
Austrias ''war tax" when the country is
at war. But let Us compare our taxes with
those paid by John Bull.
The British stamp duty on leases am
cunts to len per cent. on the rental; ours
ia forty times less. A young lawyer pays
in England during his student years, and
with four years practice, $7s5 SO with us
for the same period, 800 25. The inden-
tures of an apprentice pay five cents per
sheet stamp duty here; in England from
81 So to 1921 78. Probate of wills costs
ia England for property under $4,000,
s72 "a; with US 81 IS. To secure a pa
Mt in England for fourteen years costs
1851; here patent for seventeen years
costs $50. The tax on male servants un-
der eighteen is $2 81 over eighteen, $5 10;
on dogs of all kinds, 50 90; neither are
levied here. The license tax on whisksy
With us is 81 so per gallon, in England,
81 43 per gallon; on beer with us, 81 per
barrel; in England, 81 A per barrel
Here the general Government levies no
rdirect tax" on real estate; in England ali
real estate of whatever description pays
heavy direct tax. On tea the English people
nav a direct tax Of two hundred per cent,
upon its prime cost in China; and upon
tobacco of seven hundred per cent. upon
its prime cost. The Inland revenue yields
in England three and siK-tenths times as
much as ours; this is a fair measure of the
relative burden Of taxation upon the two
nations.
In France everybody is taxed, and
heavily at that A thrifty mechanic pays
SI4 20 per annum, a cook, $l9 60; small
retail shop-keeper or street vender, 50 so;
stevedores and others in like occupations,
81 "a; shoeblacks and others in the
humblsst occupations, pay So s2 The
total receipts for licences amount in France
to over fifteen and a half millionR, in the
United States to q little over nine mil
lions. There is door and window tax in
France, which yields nearly nine 1uillions;
the direct tax on real estate yields there
over ffty-six millions house and poD-tsx
over fourteen millions. The tax on fer
mentsd, distilled and malt liquors yields
in France S39, ,4s4, 900, with US only $685.
se3; the tax on tobacco yields in France
SAB, Use, 400, with US 81, l20,O37.
These instances must suffice at tits time;
they show that heavy as our taxes are, they
are light as compared with those borne by
the different nations of Europe, without
injuring their material prosperity, and in
times of peace atthst. Our taxes arc heavy
enough, but they are war taxes, and the
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