The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-04-03
REVENUE FRonr ODD IMPORTS
Boards and Light Have Been Taxed.
Tribute Levied on Laurel Wreaths.
From the London Temple Bar.

~AASASo ASNASQ on Laurel " AGAthS-
From the London Temple Bar.
In times past it was deemed warranta-
bic to tax salt, candles, leather, brick,
soap, starch, paper, and in 1852, even
bread and meat. Peter the Great, of
Russia, levied a tax on boards, with the
laudable object of making his subjects
wash their faces and shave. Brass TOKENS
are stlll to be bought in that country
bearing the words Dorado pignala
tlagola," which means the beard tax has
Eeen paid. r. G. &. Luudy gives parucu-
lars OF the British hat tax Of 1884, requlr-
ing hatters to take out licenses and i'm
posing an ad valorem stamp duty on every
hat sold. In old times, too, the Scotch
sacramento certificates used to bear
o-penny stamp; a tax on religious
almanacs glass, stone bottles and adver-
tlsements were among the fiscal duties OF
the past. There was also a tax on the
light of heaven in the shape of an i'm
post on windows until far into the
present century. This odious and unsani-
tary burden caused architects and builders
TO erect houses with as few windows as
possible, and to escape the TAX
the windows of many houses
were blocked up. Some of these
dark and dismal abodes are still IN
existence in England. The Russian gov
eminent few years ago decided TO tax
kerosene oil and Enthusiastically tax
on light. In some parts of China tax is
imposed on all women entering the bonds
OF matrimony. Travellers to those parts
are obliged to take wife and when they
leave the ladies' take fresh husbands, TO
the benefit of the revenue. In Seryla
vanity is taxed in the shape Of ladies'
bustles- In Melbourne Christmas cards
are taxed one-fifth per cent 1t has been
81 IN od hot IN authorities
levied Guty on musical parties.
Quite lately an annual TAX Of 10 francs
has been imposed on pianos in France.
Music has paid tribute to taxation IN
other ways. A musical troupe recently
crossing the frontier of Saxony carried
with them crown Of laurels
awarded them at a triumphal per-
Torrance. The custom house OIL
GERS taxed the laurels as spice.
Massenet, the composer, it Is related. was
also charged duty on crown OF laurels
on the German frontier. In his case the
wreath of fame was deemed TO be woven
of medicinal plants" In Montreal
organ grinders pay a license OF SO and
are only allowed TO play at stated times.
In Vienna they are also licensed
and regulated as to hours. In France
a certificate of character, a distinc
tive badge and limitation of hours is
insisted upon. Advertisements in the
form of posters and placards are required
TO bear tax stamp in France, which is
distinctly tax on trade and publicity.
In Italy, where the people complain that
the taxes are exorbitant, the voluntary
tax paid by the poorer classes in the
form of lottery amounts in year to over
$4,000, 900. At Laterza the Italians re-
Gently broke out in open revolt against
the municipality, which had increased
the hearth tax, and took the civic build
ings by assault, wohnding the syndic,
but they do not agitate against the lottery
tax. In "Old Madrid last year there
was terrible and fatal riOting among the
men and women who hawk vegetables,
fruit and other articles in the streets and
markets owing to the imposition of tax
on Spanish hawkerS.
In 1889 M. Dunajewski, the Austrian
minister of finance, who was described
as the nimblest politician in the world
for inventing new taxes, decided to tax
the totalisateurs or betting agencies. To
talisateurs are established on all German
and Austrian race courses. The system
is to divide all the money invested on the
losing horses among those who backed
the winner, after deducting per cent
commission for the agency. There is no
cheating or welshing possible in the plan.
A 10 per cent duty on winnings was de-
creed. In France the parimutual, SINH
lar system of betting, is taxed per cent.
per cent of which is devoted to the
relief Of the poor. Bookmakers are also
taxed. There is also a municipal tax of
| 10 per cent. deducted from the receipts of
theatrical and public entertainments,
which is also assigned for the benefit of
the unfortunate This revenue is princi-
pally distributed in the shape of grants
TO public charities and hospitals. thus
making pleasure come to the rescue of
poverty and the relief of pain. In Sweden
commercial travellers visiting that coun-
| try have to pay 100 kroner about S25) for
every month or part thereof that may re
main for the privilege of transacting their
! business.