The Rock Island Argus., 1884-09-29
Population, Wages and Taxes in France.

At best the population of France
grows in numbers very slowly. Allow
ing for the million and a half taken
away by Germany, the population Of
France has, we may say, made no prog
ress at all since 1860. Its numbers arc
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 years
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
to exist under conditions that have not
materially changed within the past ten
years, 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 1S45, but
10000 men out of the 10000 COM
prising his guild were out
of work in Paris alone
Here, therefore, we have purely arti-
fetal industrial condition, and upon
this unnatural structure the French
Government has built pile of debt
which demands about f6 per annum
per family for its service. This is
reckoning the family at five. as in En-
gland, although that is probably too
high. Putting Paris alongside London
for the sake of comparison with the
preceding essay, find that in addition
to his payment of f6 to the State Treas
u1y for debt charges, the head of a
family of five in that city must find Fl
los. toward the charges of the debt of
Paris. Reckoning per head, imperial
debt takes 23s. from the workman per
annum, and Partisan debt 34s.; or to-
gether, e. IFS. 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 a 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 ane
imperial, the Partisan 0uUr5er has te
find on the average about ct Is pei
annum out of his earnings. Now, as
suming that he is fully employed. the
average earnings OF the Partisan arti
san is under rather than above Sos
per week, or E75 per aunum. Debt
charges alone consequently cost the
Partisan workman about fortnight
income, and his entire share of the
public burdens, if he be unincumbereC
with wife and family, represents about
five weeks earnings. In proportion a:
his family increases the power of the
workman to live under his load becomes
less. Even if his wife works she cal
do comparatively little to help him
for the average earnings of females i:
not above half a crown a day, or los
per week. -Fortnightly Reciew.