The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-06-10
The Chicago Times has been studying tn,

The Chicago Times has been studying the
question of taxation throughout the world,
and has made some curious discoveries. We
Of the United States may think ourselves
heavily taxed, but we get off comparatively
lightly as compared with some other nations
10 bet,in with, the broad proposition may be
laid down that every thing, every action Is
taxed some way or other. In this country q
man has to pay the government tax should
he choose to boil q little corn to make himself
some whisky. This tax, however, has become
natural to us. Some Of the European taxes.
however, would seem strange and tyrannieal
and would doubtless be resisted were any at
tempt made to enforce them here In France,
Germany, Italy, and indeed all the continental
countries, tobacco and salt are government
monopolies, and you can buy your cigars
from no one but q government agency. Nearly
every European country has an income tax,
many poll tax, and Prussia q class tax and
trade tax. noblemen being compelled to pay 8
tax on their nobility. Prussia has q tax on
houses; 80 has Greece; while Italy taxes all
building contracts. Italy taxes the right to
vote, and Belgium, Denmark and Prussia the
right to inherit property; that Is, you have to
pay percentage Of the property you inherit
to the government before you can be put In
possession oft
Greece taxes all produce, bees, pastures,
CATTLE and even patents; Holland, hunting
and shooting privileges, and gold and silver
ware; Switzerland, gunpowder; Spain, the
right to gamble pepper and fruit trees;
while In Servia the privilege Of marrying sub
jects a man to an extra tax
In addition to the revenue derived from ali
these taxes, these countries also receive con-
siderable amounts OF money from other
sources not employed to swell our revenue In
this country. The amount yielded by Gov
eminent railroads Is always an important
feature in European budgets. Belgium, for
instance, gets $17,80O,OOO, one-third Of her
entire revenue, from this source; Prussia
$42,000,O00; Austria, $150O0.000. Austria gets
$5,50O,0Oo from lotteries, and Italy ST., 100000
The tobacco monopoly yields Italy S34, 100000
The postofice, moreover, is usually made
profitable, that Of Great Britain yielding the
government a revenue over all expenses Of
S30,000.0 600. The Prussian forests yield that
kingdom SD 100000 year. Austria derives
q revenue OF S16,O0O,O0O from judicial fees
money that In this country is divided between
the clerks Of courts. Among the most curious
sources Of revenue to a country are the uni
versities in Switzerland and France, which
actually yield the government revenue
and the Swiss stud stables, belonging to the
federal government OF Switzerland, which
pay the expenses Of the Swiss Council.
The champion countries for heavy taxes
are France, which, with less population thar
this country, raises the immence revenue O.
1854, 100000 year, and the Australian colo
MES which, with population smaller thar
that Of Ohio or Illinois, raise revenue o
900 year without direct tax.
The summing up Of taxation, debt ant
revenue throughout the world Is something
almost horrible to contemplate. careful
estimate shows that the civilized and semi
civilized nations Of the world owe $25, 1874, 800,
600 and raise an annual revenue OF $500, $50,
600 to pay the expenses Of their governments