The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-24
FINANCE AND TAXATION.
A. illustrated by the system Of tito Frsacl
Capital.

-
A. illustrated by the system Of tho French,
Capital.
To The independents
A few weeks since, the citizens Of Helena
were treated TO . very entertaining lecture
on Paris, France. and In tho course Of his
rema1ks. the lecturer. Mr.. Bolton. mndo
tho remarkable statement that while the
city OF Paris possessed the finest public
improvements Of any city In tho world. 1t
had no municipal debt" 9
That ! city Of 2, 10000 population. noted
for the perfection ana beauty OF Its public
works. and ut tho same time OF tho most
permanent in character. could continue in
the same line of Improvement and do 80
without creating q permanent or even a
temporary debt. is hardly within the scope
OF financial undertaking.
To show how much or little the lecturer
knew OF the subject In this particular. one
needs only 70 quote briefly from the official
budget. tho Developments Justification"
for 1892. a cory OF which can be procured
by anyone interested In the subject. by ad-
dressing the "Preicct of the Seine" under
whose direction IL 10 annually prepared.
According to the laws of France (revised
April l. 1866 the population Of PATS is the
basis of taxation, and for that year 2.344, 800
of its inhabitants contributed according Rs
they were possessed. The total revenue
received anu u1bDuEbtu uuIlUR 1OJl W0o
2o9. III, o46 francs, or s5s, o28. 4o5. Of which
amount $2S, 23l, S05 was the 'octroi" tax or
toll on food and materials; $3. 942. 740 was
from gas companies; 81. 14l ,240 from horse
oars, omnibus companies. vehicles. car
,iages, etc. The direct tax on prop
ersy' horses, dogs: etc was Se'4l1, oso
Of the cost of the Paris POLICE to the
amount Of 81, 500. BIB, and for maintenance
and cleaning of streets $3.50, 900. or a total
OF ~. 286, 513 entire from the state. OF the
disbursements. the sum OF $21, $50. 095 was
payment of interest and part OF the prin-
cirsl of the city debt; 81. 94O.67S for raRu-
courts; "a. 794. Ill for public hospitals, hslp
for the poor and public charities; for main
tenance of pavements, sidewalks and street
cleaning. 81. 143. $40; parks. lighting and
inspection Of public conveyances. $2,376,-
S75. ETC., down to tho smallest item, sc, 800
being paid to the commission to M
drivers of public conveyances. etc.
Coming to the debt proper we find sched-
uled as follows:
Original bonds OF loans. .......... 9482. 02S, 8l8
Prepaid previous to 1885,. .$os Sd. s75
Paid IN ls92..... ........... ~5.7SS.74l u,n
Ealsnce. S3S2 ,455,6 U2
Or a total debt to the enormous amount OF
1852, 45b. COZ. or about one-third the amount
VI u OOOt VI ~ OnAbCo W
this sum the city OF Paris for the yenr 1885,
paid interest to the amount of $40. 124, 1888.
When it ia a we'll known fact that labor
Is cheaper in Paris than America and city
officials arc paid about one. hall. IL il
readily understood the greater purchasing
power of money in Paris. The treasurer
or ''recovenr municipal Of Paris is paid
one Of the highest salaries in Paris and the
amount is $4,000 a year, and he is under
bond of $S0.0OO. The above figures are
facts taken from official reports, and when
a public lecturer of the reputation of MI.
Bolton makes such a statement az attri-
buted to him. he should frat be better
posted on the subject matter whereof he
speaks.
Paris. a city with q population of 2. 800,
600 and q debt Of $685., asa, COZ. shows a pei
capita debt of 1853. Following in the SAM
line Of statistios, the city. Of Helena with
l6. 600 population. and a debt of 1915. 600.
would show a per capita debt Of 1916.
On the one hand. paris, the magnif-
cent" on the other Helena: "Compari-
sons are odious." H.. B. PALMER.
Helena, April %. 1893.