The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-08-16
Population, Wages and Taxes in France.


At best the population of France
grows in numbers very slowly. Allow
ing for the million and half taken
away by Germany, the population of
France has, we may say. made no prog
ress at all since 1860. Its numbers are
smaller now than they were fifteen Years
ago, while the load of taxation has al
most doubled-in mere debt charges it.
has more than doubled. Equally sta
tionary has been the export trade of
France. The average of recent wears
has indeed been lower than for the
years Immediately succeeding the war.
Imports have, on the other hand. aug
mented much, but not because the
country has been internally prosperous.
The increase is the consequence of bad
harvests, and indicates further denuda-
ton of the wealth of the people.
France may, therefore, be considered
10 exist under conditions that have not
materially changed within the past ten
gears, so far as new developments of
its resources are concerned. The high
er wages of its population, therefore,
represent little more than an artificial
state-induced prosperity born of aug
mented debt and an inflated currency.
The statements constantly made before
the Parliamentary commission lately
established in France to examine the
position of the working classes proves
this. The representative, for example,
of the carpentry trade stated that mems
wages had doubled since 1S4S,yhut
10000 men out of the 20,0U5 G6rA.
prising his guild were out
of work in Paris alone.
Here, therefore, we have purely arti-
fetal industrial condition, AID upon
this unnatural structure the French
Government has built pill of debt
which demands about G6 Ter annum
per family for its service This is
reckoning the family at tiv,, as in En-
gland, although that is ppbably too
high. Putting Paris along ide London
for the sake of comparison with the
preceding essay, l find th;t in addition
to his payment of f6 to tle State Treas
ury for debt charges, tie head of a
family of five in that cit must find Fl
los. toward the chargesof the debt of
Paris. Reckoning per head, imperial
debt takes 23s. from the workman per
annum, and Partisan debt 34s.; or to-
gether, e lis. The rest of France, of
course, has no such load to endure, and
that of Paris is mitigated by its being
the greatest resort OF the wealthy in
Europe next to London, and by the fact
that it owns the water supply. Still, here
we have the weakest spot, and these
figures tell us in general way the Sc
cret of that Partisan unrest and discon-
tent which ever and anon threatens
France. Adding together all the
charges paid out of taxes, local and
imperial, the Partisan eucrier has to
find on the average about 97 rs. per
annum out of his earnings, Now, as
Stunning that he is fully employed, the
average earnings of the Partisan arti-
san is under rather than above 30s
per week, or E75 per aunum. Debt
charges alone consequently cost the
Partisan workman about a fortnight's
income, and his entire share of the
public burdens, if lie be unincumbered
with wife and family, represents about
five weeks earnings. In proportion as
his family increases the power of the
workman to live under his load becomes
less. Even if his wife works s6e can
do comparatively little to help him.
for the average earnings of females is
not above half a crown a day, or 15s.
per week. -fOrt7iqhtiU ReUielO.