Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1894-07-14
ODD THINGS In TAXES
GOVERNMENT DUES DERIVED FROM
MANY QUEER lmpoars.

MANY QUEER iMp0aTS.
Matriaasay r<ssd In sams Psrts % chi.a-
Esen Bread and Meat Have Had 10 Gem
frsbass ia fhr Ressnses-feser the Gre.s
Levied Tas on Braras-
In times past II was deemed waranta-
BILE % tax sait. candles. leather, brick,
soap, starch, paper aud IN 1852 even bread
and meat Peter the Great Of Russia lew
led tax on boards. with the laudnble oh
jcct Of making his subjects wash their faces
aud shave. Brass tokens are still 70 be
/ bought In that country bearing the words
dorado pignaia fiagsla.'' which means
fthe beard tax has been paid Mr.. II.
q. G. I.nndy. ia 'sThe Fiscal philateIist, =
gives particulars ~ the British hat tax OF
l7e4, requiring hatters totake out licenses
and imposing an ad valorem stamp duty
On every hat sold. In those days revenue
officials meeting a man with an unli-
censed hat used to inquire, in the words
OF the comic ssng. Where did you get
that hatsn In old times, too. the Scotch
sacramental certificates used to bear q six
penny stamp. A tax ON religious alma
macs. glass, stone bottles and advertise
ments was among the fiscal duties Of the
past.
There was also tax ON the eight Of
heaven" I'm the shape of an impost on win
dows until far In the present century.
This odious and insanitary burden caused
architects and builders to erect houses
/ with ms few windows as possible, and to
/ escape the tax the windows of many houses
were blocked mp. Some Of these dark and
dismal aboies are stiil In existence In Eng
land. The Russian government few years
ago decided 10 tax Kerosene oil and match
es virtually tax on light.
| In some parts OF China a tax H. imposed
/ ON all women entering the bonds OF matri-
mony. Travellers 10 those parts are Obliged
I TO take a wife, and when they leave the
ladies take fresh husbands. to the benefit
Of the revenue Those who follow the adj
/ vice of the late Adah Isaacs Menken and
marry young and often are an acquisi-
\ tinn to snch state. Ia Seryia vanity In
| taxed Ia the SHAPE Of ladies' hustles. In
Melbourne Christmas cards ara taxed one
/ fifth per cent. Christmas, New Year, Eas-
/ ter aud birthday cards would doubtless
| produce an apprciable revenue In Eng
! land. IL has been stated that In Weimar
the authorities levied duty ON musical
parties. The regulations were not given,
hut doubtless solos, duets, trios and guar
] ttt' AtN ~ Itfttl%itt0tA4tG tUtrs1@ VI
olins. comets aud the flute should incur
special charges Quite lately an annual
tax of 10 francs has been imposed on pi-
amos In France. Music has paid tribute to
taxation Ia other ways. A musical troop
recently crossing the frontier of Saxony
! carried with them crown OF laurels
awarded them M n triumphal performance.
/ The custom house officers taxed the laureis
as spice. Massenet, the composer, Il Is re-
lated, was also charged duty ON a crown
OF inurels ON the German frontier. In his
case the wreath Of fame was deemed 10 be
woven Of medicinal plants" In Mon
treal organ grinders pay a license OF eco
aud are only allowed to play mt stated
times. In Vienna they are also licensed
and regulated as 10 hours. In France a
certificate Of character, distinctive badge
and limitation Of hours are insisted upon.
No licenses for street musicians have been
issued for nine years in Germany.
| In St. Petersburg no outdoor musical
performers ARE permitted, hut In romantic
Italy there Is very practical regulation
excluding those under Is years of age
from the privileges of n license. In New
| York wandering MINISTRIES contribute to
the revenue 81 each and are prohibited
| from playing within certain distance OF
specified buildings or dwellings and out
side fixed hours. Barrel music In the open
/ Is not allowed to exist In sunny Spain, but
'Eayiy the trnnhaduuF twangs his gull
/ tar for which, however n license 10 re-
qnired.
The state finances In Russia are recruited
/ by graduated income tax, commencing mt
per cent ON incomes between 900 and
1900 rubies--a ruble equals 3s 2d.--and
increasing at the rate Of one-tenth per cent
on every additional l 900 or fraction OF
| 1000 rubles. y duty Of a quarter kopcck
about one-tenth of penny--is also Inn
posed on the eggs Of all kinds of poultry,
which tax on food realizes several millions
OF ruhles. Cycles are subject TO a tax Of
5 shiilings In France and of similar
amount in Braban
They do these things better In France
-or worse. Advertisements in the form
OF posters and placards are required 10
bear tax stamp In France, which Ia dis
tinctly tax ON trade and publicity. In
Italy, where the people complain that the
taxes are exorbitant, the voluntary taxes
paid by the poorer classes In the form OF
lottery amounts in year to over f3, 0oO,-
900. At Lateral the Italians recently
broke out tn open revolt against the mu-
nicipality, which had increased the hearth
tax and tonk the civic buildings by as
sault. wounding the syndie, but they do
not agitate against the lottery tax. "ln
old Madrid" In 1892 there was a terrible
and fatal rioting among the men and wo-
men who hawk vegetables, fruit and other
articles In the streets and markets, owing
20 the imposition of tax on Spanish
bawkers.
In 1889 NJ. Dnnaiewski, the Austrian
minister of finance, who was described as
1.-THE nimhiest politician In the world for
inventing new taxes, . decided 10 tax the
totallsateurs, or betting agencies. Total
isateufs are esla blished on all German and
Austrian race courses. The system Is TO
divide all the money invested ON the loo
Ing horses among those who hacked the
winner after defucting $ per cent commits
sion for the agency There Ii no cheating
or wsishing possible In the plan. A 10 per
cent duty nn winnings was decreed. In
France the parimutual, a similar system
Of betting, Is taxed per cent, . per cent
| OF which IN devoted to- the relief of the
poor. Bo0kmakers are also taxed. There
Is also a municipal tax of 10 per cent de-
Quoted from the receipts OF theatrical and
public entertainments. which In also MS
signed for the benefit OF the unfortunate
This revenns h principally distributed In
the shape OF grants 70 public charities and
hospitals, Thus making pleasure GENE to
the rescue OF poverty and the relief of pain.
IN Sweden commercial travellers visiting
that country have 10 pay 100 kroner