Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-22
EXPENSIVE FRANCS.
Rapid Living, Costly LuyHlies, and
Bi.h Taxation.
From Paris Lstss

From Paris LISTER.
Paris is great CITY for money spend
ing. 1t has Il wealthy population, and
the million and odd hundred thousands Of
the poorer classes live off these. There
are milli0naires here from everywhere.
There are more than 5000 people VINO pay
rents Of $500 to 200 a year, and 2So who
pay over LOCO year each. 1t is said
that there are 5000 persons IN Paris who
! have incomes oG$I0,000 or more ayear, and
among them are some Americans. John
w. Mackay's wife leads the latter, and
she has big palace not far from the
Champs Elysee. aud near the Arc de
| IrlOmphe, one of the United States Lega-
ton Secretaries of the past used to estl-
mate his yearly expenses i'll Paris at
$50, 900, though his salary was, suppose,
not one-tenth that sum. lie was million
aire, however, and could stand it.
Both Paris and France are heavily
taxed, and France has the biggest ma
tlODal debt in the world. IL Is more than
$4,000, 100000 and tho government con-
tnues to spend money as though all Of its
citizens were rich aud ithad a large bank
account to it's credit. This year 1t made
new loan of more than ST, 900, and
it Is constantly increasing it's army and
internal improvement expenses. Since
the war with Germany Paris guide book
states that it has spent S60O,000,00 on
war material alone, and its army amounts
on peace footing to about 100000 men.
Ii has 200 Brigader-Generals, and in
case OF a war it can muster over 1000, 900
men. OF these One-half are trained SOL
diers, and only 900 OF the whole are
wholly unframed. War preparations go
on prepetually in France, and fight with
Germany is among the expectations OF
many Frencbmen. The French nate the
Germans, and they have a larger army
and more guns than the Germans. They
have shown themselves good lighters,
though they don't seem to have the
staying powers and the good physiques of
their enemies. Paris has been refortitied,
and that more strongly than ever, and
they are spending great deal to build up
their navy. Over forty millions were
spent in 1888, and they now have 400
steamships.
With such a debt France must needs be
| heavily taxed. Still, the people are
thrifty, and one does not see here the
poverty OF England and Ireland. There
| is notably less dirt, and notably more hap
| piress. The French taxation scheme is a
curious thing TO an American. Every
| thing is taxed, and the taxation is both
direct and Indirect. There is a house tax,
| paid In proportion to the rental. The
fession is taxed. There is land tax, and
there is a tariff on articles imported from
| abroad. There is also the octroI tax,
which makes every article brought into a
city pay duty, and there are revenue
| stamps for bills, checks and receipts. III
a French farmer brings a dozen eggs into
| Paris he must pay tax upon them at the
| entrance to the city, and if his wife car
ries in pound OF butter she pays per-
| centage upon it before it can be sold.
| Funeral matters are taxed, and the gov
| eminent makes all of the tobacco made in
| the country.
1t is very poor tobacco, too, and the
! prices show that it's revenue from this
| source must be very large. The govern
ment of Paris also does the pawnDr0king
of the city. The interest charged is from
| 81 to L per cent, and the pledges cannot
be redeeme until one day after the money
is paid back. With such taxation it is no
wonder that France has an immense
revenue, and that its expenditures are
! eXtraVagaDt. Last year 1t is estimated
more taan 5000 000,000 was collected and
! spent, and don't believe there is much
| lying awake among French politicians in
! thinking what shall be done with the
surplus.