Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06
A TAX ON BACHELORS
The Novel Scheme of Frenchman to In
crease the Revenues.
After Thirty-Fivc, If Unmarried, NJ,
Decrotx Would Make Every Man
Help Pay the Public Debt.
From the New York World,

From the New York World.
France needs money, and in order to help
raise it one of her social reformers has
brought forward a scheme to tax bach
elors. The budget for 1925 has, with the
greatest difficulty, been arranged. and
there seems but little likelihood OF that
OF 1896 being properly balanced, or of an
equilibrium being established by the Ribct
ministry. SO that the financial condition
OF the country is causing alarm not only ts
those who have the reins of the govern
ment in hand. but 10 all parties.
Patriots are ransacking their brains for
new devices by which the empty Golfers of
the state may be reo.enished. Among re-
cent lucubrations which have been taken
into serious consideration by the minister
OF finance are the taxes on nobleman a
heavier tax on alcohol, and, finally, the
project of taxation on bachelors. A World
correspondent has had interview with
the originator of the latter system Of tax
alton, which appears to have been his hob
by for the past thirty years. NJ. DecroiX
founder of the league against the abuse
OF tobacco, has forwarded his petition to
the chamber of deputies, where he hopes
it will be examined before long. Said he:
THE idea of taxing bachelors is an old
one with me. Although my latest petition
is only just forwarded to parliament,
have been thinking the matter over for the
past thirty years. This is how it came
about 1 was veterinary surgeon at the
time, in a regiment of chasseurs, in Africa.
l noticed that the chief of a squadron in
my regiment. a married man with fam
lily, had the greatest difficulty in making
both ends meet. On the other hand. his
colleagues OF the same grade, receiving the
same pay, with no private income, were
leading most agreeable life.
1T was from the observation of these
two men that l derived my idea of i'm
posing tax on bachelors. 1 expressed the
opinion that the difference between the
lives of two officers Of the same rank
should be lesseEed. Ever since 1 have con-
Quoted in France campaign in favor of
tax OH bachelors, in the same way. but not
with such good results so far as l have
achieved in the campaign against the abuse
of tobacco.
legislative assembly in 1862 and met with
a very different reception. Three years
later a project of police enccura ged me to
to continue my efforts. SO presevered
with my petitions. And, although people
say that within the past thirty years times
have changed considerably from an eco
nomic point of view, my principal argu-
ment in the sixties was precisely the same
as it is in the Nineties.
Il tried to make clear to the represen-
tatiyes of the people that, at an epoch
when everybody is p;rched by the want of
relative luxury, bachelors enjoy a veri-
table privilege. They pay less taxes than
the poorer classes. Consequently they have
more money at Their disposal for all kinds
of dissipation. which is more injurious
than useful to society at large. In my
opinion. there is no excuse for bachelor
when he has attained the age of thirty
five years. From that period eff his life
until his death, unless he should marry. 1
propose that he should pay an additional
10 per cent of the amount of his ordinary
taxes
This would be far from making things
equal. but it would be step in the right
direction. Of course. officers of the army,
sailors and the clergy would be EXEMPT
from this bachelor taxation"
The most curious fact to note is that
the originator of the tax is himself a
bachelor. He says that he deprives him.
self of all "satisfactions inherent to his
condition." and that of his modest pen
sion he devotes as much as he can pos
sibly spare to the funds of the league
against the abuse of tobacco. Although
unwilling to marry himself Che says he is
too old. M. Decroix expresses his willing
ness to settle the tax for his own part,
and insists that his project is patriotic, in
asmuch as it is the best remedy against
the depopulation of the country, maltlu-
sanism and alcoholism.
IF my idea is adopted. as I hope it will
be- he concluded. the young girls of
France will owe me 4 statue"