Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-10-08
wHEREIDO THE TURKISH SUP
PLIES COME FROM

1t was understood, long ago. that the
Turkish Government had exhausted its
credit, and that to obtain farther ad-
vances in the markets of Europe would
be an impossibility. 1t was known, too,
that taxation was already as severe and
onerous as it was practicable to make
it, and that any enlargement of the rev.
enues IN that quarter could not be rea-
sonably looked for And yet Turkey
has borne the strain of protracted and
costly farmament, and of five months
active campaigning she has put into
the field, in Europe and Asia, armies
numbering in the aggregate three or
four hundred thousand men she has
furnished these immense forces with
the latest and most improved weapons,
and has bought heavily and for cash,
such arms and ammunition as she need
ed i; she has defended her territory in
Bulgaria and Armenia against a pow
erful foe, so far checkmating his move
ments that the first years campaigning
promises to be drawn game; and she
has provisioned her large armies, and
furnished supplies for the field and the
hospital with an astonishing degree of
success and promptness, all things con-
sidered. The question-where have the
funds come from? suggests itself newt
ably, and is certainly much easier asked
than answered. To some extent it
must remain mystery, and yet there
are facts, tolerably we'll known to those
who are acquainted with the interior
workings of the Government, which 60
part way to explain the matter.
One of these facts is the extent to
which taxation is carried in Turkey.
The taxation of the unhappy subjects
of the Porte may be said to have been
reduced to a fine art. In Armenia, for
example, the Christians pay 80 piastres,
or SI.2o. each per annum for exemption
from bearing arms, and there is furth-
er war tax of 25 piastres per head on
all Christian families. Mills, shops and
houses of business pay an annual tax o.
ten per cent; every man following ;
trade pays 10 piastres annually for the
privilege business men pay on their in
comes tax of from to Is per cent.
and the Government claims 10 per cent
of every harvest. An annual tax of l.
cents is levied for every sheep or goa
more than year old upon all horse
and cattle sold there is tax of two ant
: half per cent; permission for the erec
: ton of buildings is given only on pay
r ment of liberal fee, and the contractO
is taxed 40 cents for every workma
t employed; and import and export du
5 ties vary from 8 to 80 per cent. Th
. Turkish Parliament, before its dissoll
b tiou, voted forced loan, which was
: have come into effect in August, but tn
t people were already so poverty stricke
O that IL was cUnsIueIvu ~SN.---
!, tempt to collect double taxes.
It Another fact which has bearing 9
G this question is the freedom with whic
d the Porte cuts down the salaries of i
n officials. or defers their payment. I'll
L Turkish soldiers in Armenia, for exam
e pie, are found. on inquiry, to be fro
/ 10 to As months in arrears in their pa
S When the war began, % per cent WI
S. shaved from the salaries of Governme
If officials, military and civil, througho,
1T the empire. On the 18th of Jnly /;
lie order went into effect deducting so p
s. cent. more from the salaries of publ
IS functlonaries, so that these upfortunat
IN are receiving now only about one-quart
so of their former pay, and are lucky
a. they get that in available funds al
IS with any degree of promptness.
C. Turkey valves altogether, for t
present, her obligations to foreign ere
itOrs; and by taxing her subjects to t
utmost endurable limit. by cutting doy
or Withholding salaries, and by drawn
OF largely upon the country occupied +
y. the support of her armies, she contriv
a. to pay for such things as have to
IL bought abroad, and must be paid for
G. cash. But obviously, the evil day
bankruptcy and ruin is only postpone
y not ayerted, by these cxpedients. Ne
ne year the crops will be short, and tax
ur will diminish accordingly. Long stan
ing bills will have to be met and pub
VI and private credit will be exhaust
III A correspondent, writing from TheraI
81 on the 18th of September, says that t
IL condition of the working and Low
u classes, even in the capital, is becomi
nc a subject of great anxiety, while in
er provinces the want and privation !;
as such as no other people would patien
endure. When winter comes mt
Ut misery and suffering must follow, and
'or is fearful to contemplate what may
'n- the results when the country shall hs
g been wholly drained of its resourc
Ike There will be lack of food, fuel a
'n- clothing, and the usual means of SUPP
Oh will have been stopped through the W
lgS Boston JonrnoI.
all