St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-06-21
TAx-BURDENED ITALY.
nl-Advised Public Enterp rises
Have Resulted in OVerburden-
some Taxation.


Have Resulted in Overburden-
some Taxation.
In a political sense, says a recent
writer, Italy is the Youngest nation in
Europe, having barely attained its
majority of twenty-One years, and they
have been years of laundering raShne SIS
and inexperience. As soon as nation
ality had been attained, the people, in
tOXIcated with success and filled with
desire TO take rank with the grea ma
lions of the world. cheerfully ent cred
upon great enterprises. They built rail-
roads where they were not needed,
opened canals, built bridges, established
schools, equipped great army and con-
StTucted 4 powerful navy, and did many
other unwiSe and Improbable things.
Private individuals and corporations
built great blocks of houses that are for
the most part empty, constructed car lines
that do not pay, and founded factories
that are generally idle or unremuner-
alive. Those who dance must pay the
piper, and now ltaly'S time has come
for settlement. The period of reaction
has arrived, and the national govern
ment, the provinces, the cities, the
communes and individuals are alike
seized with fit of economy, but they
do not know where the retrenchment
should begin. The cities of Italy, the
cOmmuneS and the provinces are threat
ened with political extinction, as well
as with financial disaster, if not ruin.
In Naples, for example, the city treas
ury is not only empty, but there is a
deficit in the municipal revenue this
year of 500, 600 or more. Rome is also
in financial straits. and 50 are Genoa,
Florence, Milan, Turin and other cities.
The San Francisco Chronicle says that
as a result of all this the burden of tax
alton is becoming unbearaOle. Income
from landed estates pays As per cent for
national and local purposes, rent on
houses pays "a per cent, the earnings
of merchants are taxed 40 per
cent. All incomes above S120 pay
one-Seventh of the amount to
the government. A school teacher re-
ceiving $500 year has to pay tax of
about S27. To add TO this, the govern
ment imposes heavy duty on nearly
tax on imports and tax on exports.
The duty OH sugar makes it cost from
10 to 20 cents pound. Tea costs from
so cents to 81, coffee from 40 to 60 cents,
according to quality. Bread Is very
dear, as there is q. duty of 20 per cent on
imported wheat. the people pay, either
directly or. Indirectly, nearly third, OF
all their earnings to the government.
This is not the whole story. either.
While the cost OF living is very high
wages are extremely low. Farm labor
erS get but 20 cents day on an average.
Artisans receive from so to 40 cents
day, and are not regularly employed
even at that. The wages of women are
SO small as to make man blush to
name them. In the rice fields of North
ern Italy women wade to their knees
twelve hours at time for 10 cents. The
straw platterS of FieSOle, Prato and
LeghOrn make from to 10 cents day,
and work very hard to earn even that.
Indian meal, Italian chestnutS and rice,
with a little inferior fruit. constitutes
the staple diet of the majority of the
Italian peaSantry. Meat and wheat
bread are unknown in thousands OF
homes in ''Sunny Italy,"
What is to be the outcome? Is it any
wonder that the lower classes in Italy
seek reiieT in emigration to almost any
country on earth that will receive them,
or that they will work for wages in this
country which the Chinese would hest
tate before accepting? And yet, says
the writer to whom we are indebted for
many of our facts, there is hope for
the moral and spiritual regeneration
OF the Italian race and for the
amelioratiOn of their physical con-
dition. In twenty-five years crime has
diminished more than 20 per cent
illiteracy is rapidly disappearing. as
education is now compulsory, and sani
tary science has made such advances
that the average health of the people is
constantly improving. If the Italian
government would arrive at a just COM
prehenslon of the real situation of af-
fairs and withdraw from the triple al
lance, disband its army, diSmantle its
navy and devotue itself to commercial
and other peaceful pursuits. very few
years would see a wonderful change for
the better in the condition of Italy and
her people