The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1885-09-03

he tax officers In Franco collect tho
psucssasy -dsta for the preparation Of
~ tax rolls some time in january.
About March I. every occupant of q
house or apartment receives notice that
his taxes for the coming year are as
sossed ut such figure, the amount OF
his personal tay. and his license. II any.
being separately specified. IL he has
my objection to make. an opportunity
Is given him Of doing so. Toward tho
end OF March each one Is notified that
he must commence paying his taxes
within eight days from tho service OF
such notice. The taxes may be paid In
monthly installments II the taxpayer so
desires. and we need hardly say that
the mass Of the PEOPLE are glad TO
profit by this bene6ccnt provision OF the
law.
For the convenience o. payment tht
city Il divided into numerous tax dis
tricts. and the system Is so perfect that
payment may usually be made and re
coip. obtained within five minutes after
entering the office; and. OF course, II
the TAXPAYER prc'ers TO do so, he can
paw the whole o, his taxes for tho year
st once or In ,emi-annual or quarterly
payments.
The theory which underlics the
French system Of taxation is that the
rent or rental value OF the premises &C.
cupied by the taxpayer rs residence
Is proportional 10 the amount OF his
property. and thisis generally speak.
ING, n reasonable sumption. At all
events. IL possesses this great advant-
ngc, namely. that the rent payable by
every citizen may be read ly ascertained.
while the amount OF his means can not,
II no chooses TO cuncealit. Under this
system every inhabitant OF the city. eS-
cept the very poor. Is obliged TO con-
tribute his share toward the expenses
of the Government, and consequently
such share is proportionatoly moderate.
A few figures. will serve TO show how
heavy Is tho burden imposed upon an
honest taxpayer in New York. Is COM
pared with that which is borne by n man
possessed OF the same means in Paris.
Let us assume that the property OF such
IN individual, IL out OF business,
consists OF personal estate. such as rail.
way bonds and stocks OF the value OF
100000, that the net annual income
thcrefrom Is $4,000. and that the rent
paid BY such an individual amounts TO
one-fifth OF his income, iual to Sl.OOO,
or that. being engaged n business, his
average annual profits enable him To
occupy an apartment OF the Same
rental value. In Paris tho party
IN question would have To pay
as contributions mObHicreS about 100
francs, or. say. $50, or. including
his door and window tax which he pays
through his landlord. say, 500 II en-.
gagged in business or practicinS pro-
fession he would hare TO pay q license
tax or pdisilte. which varies from lCC
TO 1000 francs 1--WE are speaking. OF
course, of the mass OF the people. and
not Of merchants or companies occupy
ing very extensive and costly premises,
whose pdienie may run up 10 several
thousand trans. and whose taxes arc
payable out Of the profits OF their bus
iness. aud not out OF the income de-
rived from their invcstments.) Such
householder thus pays on an average,
say 1000 francs as the total OF his di.
sect taxes. Surprising him to pay l.OOc
francs directly In the shape OF octroi
duties on the provisions consumed by
himself and family in the course OF the
year land this allowance we consider
. very liberal oncI we find the total
amount of his annual taxes direct and
indirect. 10 be. say 1000 francs, or
$500; while in New York person sim.
piarly situated would have TO pay Of he
made an honest and full declaration
" his property about 2 clio per cent.
On the principal. making. in the prescn:
case. his tax amount 10 $4,000. Even
n we assume that the rar.sian pays an
.,',ditional S2C0 per year on an average
IN the way OF succession and other ex-
ceptional taxes, his contributions 10
expenses OF the Government would DO
ut the utmost only $500. in place OF tho
$1,000 levied upon the unfortunate New
Yorker. y. lost.