The daily gazette., 1879-07-01
Throughout the World.

The Chicago Times has been studying
the question of taxation throughout the
world, and has made some curious dis
coveries. We of the United States may
thiak ourselves heavily taxed, but we
get Off comparatively light as compared
with some other nations. To begin with
the broad proposition may be laid down
that everything, every action, is taxed
some way or other. In this country a
man has to pay the government tax
should he choose to boil little corn to
make himself some wliskey. This tax,
however, has become natural to us.
Some of the European taxes, however,
would seem strange and tyrannical and
would doubtless be resisted were any at
tempt made TO force them here. In France,
Germany, Italy, and indeed all the con-
tinental countries, tobacco and salt are
government monOpolies, and you can
not buy your cigars from no one but
government agency. Nearly every
European country has an income tax,
many poll tax, and Prussia class tax
and trade tax, nUblemen being compelled
to pay tax Oh their nobility. Prussia
has tax on houses; SO has Greece
while Italy taxes all building contracts.
Italy the right to vote, and Belgium,
Denmark and Prussia the right to inherit
property; that is, you have to pay a
percentage Of the propery you inherit
10 the government before you can be put
in possession of it.
Greece taxes all produce, bees, pas
lures, cattl., and even patents Holland,
hunting and shooting privileges, and
gold aud siverware Switzerland, gull
powder Spain the right to gamble, pep
per and fruit trees while in Servia the
privilege of marrying subjects man to
all extra tax.
In addition to the revenue derived
from all these taxes, these countries al
so receive considerable amounts OF
money from other sources not employed
to swell our revenue in this country.
The amount yielded by government rail
roads is always an important feature in
European budgets. Belgium, for in
stances, gets SI7,S00,000, one-third OF
her entire revenue, from this source
Prussia, $42, 600, 900; Austria, $l5,O00,-
900. Austria gets $5,50O,00O fIom lot
teries, and Italy $17,5O0,O00. The to-
bacco monopoly yields Italy $34 4,0OO,00O
The post office, moreover, is usually
made profitable, that of Great Britain
yielding the government a revenue over
all expenses of $30000,000 The Prus-
sian forests yield that kingdom $14 ,0OO,-
900 a year. Austria derives a revenue
of SlG,000,00o from judicial fees, money
that in this country is divided between
the clerks of courts. Among the most
curious sources OF revenue to country
are the universities in Switzerland and
France, which actually yield the govern
ment revsnue;-- and the Swiss
stud stables, belonging to tho Fedora
Government of Switzerland, which
pay the expenses of the Swiss Conn
ell.
The champion countries for heav,
taxes are France, which, with less popu
lation than this country, raises the i'm
mense revenue Of $534 100000 year
and the Australian colonies which, witt
population smaller than that o
Ohio or Illinois, raise revenue o
S73, $4,000 year without direc
tax.
The summing up of taxation, deb
and revenue throughout the world is
something almost horrible to contem
plate. A careful estimate shows tha
the civilized and semi-civilized nation!
of the world owe S25, 1914, 100000 an(
raise an annual revenue of $S,91O,6 $50,
900 to pay the expenses of their govern
ments