The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-12-28
untfi II ia a matter Of SURPRISE now The
NOR wrctcbes who produce them can

untfi II ia a matter Of SURPRISE now The
poor wrctches who produce them can
live. Every fruit bearing tree is taxed,
as are also animals, fowls and worms,
and, lastly, labor itself is taxed, and
the waQe worker has TO surrender all
that the tax gatherers can squeeze out
of him without actually starving him
10 death. The laborers i'm the interior
of Turkey and her dependencies are
so thin that they look like moving
mummies, and they all have the ex.
preston OF utter dependency and
hopelessness on their wizened features.
The collection of taxes in all the in
terror of Turkey and Ler dependencies
upon farm produce, made by revenue
officers belonging to each particular
pachalik is made in kind when there
Is no ready money. When the crops
fail the amount which each one
usually pays must be given in money,
otherwise the soldiers, or revenue olli-
GERS. seize the animals, implements,
copper cooking utensils, and, IN fact,
everything of sufficient value to carry
off. and these are turned into money,
leaving whole families utterly desti-
tute. If they make an outcry they
receive the bastinado or are thrust into
prison.
Those farmers or peasants who live
within distance OF fifty miles from
Constantinople bring their scanty
stock of salable articles, such rs small
vegetables, fruit poultry, etc, and all
these roads converge in two, which
have stations for the revenue officers
at Mashiak. which is near the forest at
Belgrade, and another on the Taximc,
near the Grand Champs cemetery.
Here the trains of poor peasants pass
with their donkeys, with their bags
upon their shoulders or with baskets
containing little salad or a few eggs
or chickens-in short, anything they
have to sell. They are stopped and
their produce appraised, and the peas
ant must render up part of his scanty
store. letting the officials take out what
they wish as tax. Then he receives
bit Of red paper which permits him
TO 90 on selling the diminished stock.
Money. however, is always preferred
when the peasant has it, but when he
has 40 money the officials help them
selves always to the best of the stock
If he complains, which he seldom
does. he receives the baStinadO. No
other people in these days could be so
submissive under such abject slavery.
All the drinking water is brought
from long distances in barrels and
bags on the backs of men. and this
water is also taxed, with the exception
of that which is brought for the sui
tan's household.
The resources Of Turkey proper are
various and would enrich any other
country in the world and when We
also take into account all the tributary
nations and dependencies, we wonder
at the universal poverty. The coun
try is large and reaches into several
climates. There is scarcely anything
that could not be produced if the in
dustries were not subject to such I'M
lust and outrageous taxation. Wheat,
coffee, grapes, raisins, figs, prunes,
wool of several qualities, tobacco OF
the finest possible kind, herbs, medici
nal and aromatic, such as make the
Serkys tea; rhubarb, mastic, honey,
corn, fish Of all kinds, medicinal gums,
dates, opium, silk, cotton, flax, petro-
leum, cattle, sheep, rugs and carpets.
altar of rose, the beautiful Broussa
silks and embroideries, the exquisite
gold fligree work, which cannot be
equaled outside of Turkey, and many
other things.
The Turkish dyestutfs were always
valuable and in large demand, but the
government effectually killed the in
dustry by handicapping it with taxes
and export duties, until now the trade
is nominal. Indeed, the whole policy
of Turkey has been to lill the goose
that lays the golden egg.
There are valuable coal mines in
many parts of Turley-one within
forty miles of Constantinople-and
they are not utilized, though the need
for fuel in that city is great The
present supply for heating houses
their very rigorous winters is
charcoal and wood, brought from long
distances on camels and horses in in.
dnitesimaIly small quantities, and sold
by the chekkee or armful. Cor. New
York Herald.