New-York tribune., 1891-10-14
POPULAR DESCRIPTIONS.
THE WORLDS BALANCE SHEET.
AMERICAN PROSPERITY AND EUROPEAN PoNh"li
coMpARFp-pEBTs, TAXES. REVENUES.


CoMPARED-DEBTs, TAXES, REVENUES
TO the Editor Of The TT D nc
Sir Aside from all other taxes, and "their name Is
,.gon tho "octr,i, Of Paris equals than $l24O
per wear for every inhabitant. counting men, women
and cbildren During the first half Of the present
year there was so collected the sum OF 7O'o9'Ooo
francs.
The total debt of all the nations is in round mum
hers twenty-four thousand million DOLLARS anu t"e
total wealth OF the United States sixty-seven ana
half thousand million dollars.
II the United States To assume and pay al
the debt of every nation. her wealth would remain
greater than that Of Great Britain; S1,OOO,oOo'Ooo
greater than that of France; S12OoO,OOoOoo greater
than that Of Germany; S25,OO0,OO0OOO greater Vh"h
that Of Russia: $29 100000 greater thah hat Vi
Austria Or If the United States were to assume ana
pay the debt OF every other nation OF the earh' her
wealth would still remain greater than that OF ule
German Empire with Holland, Belgium. Norway ana
sweden added
The shin earnings OF Great Britain in 1880 later
dates are not obtalnable) equalled s35so61,o 900
mainly blood money sucked from her colonies anu
from other nations for freight raw materials thaV
should have been manufactured adjacent to their place
of production and thus to the fullest possible extent
have saved this enormous drain for transportation
II Great Britain were to restore to her coloes anu
to other nations the wealth thus drawn from them'
centurv he reduced TO a parity with her area
ONLY three countries, Canada, Australia and Brazil
have higher customs duties per capita thah "ieaO
Britain. The average of the world per capita IS o''
shillings while those of Great Britain are 12o slnss
and those of the United States are only IL shings
Thus custom duties in Great Britain are 10 per cen'
higher per capita than they in the United states
and three and one-ffth times high as the average
for the civilized world. The customs dnes per capita
in Great Britain are than twice as hgh as hoSe
of France; than three times as hgh as those o
Germany; more than four times as hlgh as tnose VI
Russia: more than eight times as high as those OF
Austria.
Mulhal the foremost OF English statisticians, IN
forms us that the homes Of protected France are
mortgaged for but II per cent OF their vaue "hiie
those Of Great Britain mortgaged for al per cent
Of their value. Now the United States makes about
the same showing France in this respect, whereas
the homes of Great Britain much more heavily
morgaged in proportion to their value than are those
Of any other nation except Germany, where mortgages
4s per cent.
The same eminent author states that from 1870 10
1850 dhe period from 1850 to 1890 is not yet given
tie customs duties annually collected in Great Britain
amounted TO II shIlings and pence per capita, while
for q period those of the United States amounted
/ to only II shlngs per capita. Thus the customs
duties Of Great Britain were 16 per cent higher per
caplla than those of the United states. Meanwhile
the Golden Club and It's American annexes were in
dustriousy scattering documents to prove that our
tariff excessive.
In Mullall, page 2ss We find that total living ex
penses, including food, clothing, rent taxes and
sundries. average in the United Kingdom 2os pence
per day per inhabitant while in the United states the
same total of living expenses averages only 1916 pence
per day Thus In the United Kingdom the expense
of living is SO 13 per cent greater than in protected
United States. France and the United States are
practically alike. The great author, page 4G4
states that Ia Great Britain wages average 81 shllings
per week and food IA shilings per week, showing
surplus Of 10 smlings per week, 50 that the ratio In
100 as wages would be- food As and surplus 50 ;
surplus being 229 per cent more than food. lie gives
the average wages IN the United States 49 shilngs
per week and food 16 shillings per week, showing
surplus OF wages over food of 30 Sdllings per week.
so that in the United States the ratio 10 100 wages
would be, food SO and surplus G7 surplus being 1888
per cent than food. Thus in the United states
the surplus per cent of over food is almost five
| times as great in the United Kingdom
Or, in review. Englond's greatest satistcian shows
that IN Great Britain the expense of living
is SO 13 per cent greater than in the protected United
States while in the United States the surplus per cent
of earnings food Is almost five times as much as
In NAV, iS9i, Lord Salisbury Britains Prime Min
ister, gave up to Portugal more than 10000 square
miles Of Africa. thus cutting In twain Engands AIreah
If this were not Portugal would become republic
England's fear Of the progress OF freedom was thuS
During the last twenty three years the protected
United states has paid ga per cent of her debt, while
free trade Great Britain has paid of hers but ID per
cent.
When our war closed National debt was more
than $40 per inhabtant, with an annual interest OF
more than "a per head. Now the debt Is less than
40 cents per head. while OH basis Of population
the debt has decreased 45, the interest by grand Re
| publican fnanciering. has been reduced $40. -
In 1890 the debt of Great Britain equalled $50 VI
per inhabitant, including men, women and children
! as well as paupers, nearly a million and MI OF
them Now the average Of debt among civilized ma.
tiOns IS only Si3 10 per capita. Thus the debt OF
free-trade Great Irain Is more than seven times as
much per inhabitant is that Of the United states
/ and is 1900 times as much as the average OF
! civilized nations OSCAR F. WILLIAMS.
| United states Consul at Havre.
! Rochester, n. ", oct 2, 1891.