The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1898-07-30
ExToRT1oNATE TAXATION.
Imposed Upon the People of Italy
by an ImprOvident Govern-
mental System.

mental System.
The population of the United States
- about 2la times that of Italy. The
population of Italy was 31,0O0,000 in
1885,; the present population of the
United States is 77,5O0,00O. The annual
expenses of Italy for governmental pur-
poses are in excess of the equivalent OF
$500,000,000 in American money, OF
more than $100,000,000 above the ex.
penses of the United States government
in an ordinary year. These expenses
however, include some items which be-
long more properly to what may be
called the obligations of the states i'm
provident financial system than to or
binary running expenses, but even with
this acknowledgment the amount of
such ordinary expenses to be raised
from taxation is in excess of $3.50, 0O0, 900
year.
For its war department Italy spends
in year $45,000,0 900; for its navy de-
partment, $2o,Ooo,0OO; public instruc-
ton, by the central government, $10,-
000, 900; public works, $10,oo0,000; 'the
expenses of collection" public officials,
agents, tax gatherers and clerks), $685.
600, 600; maintenance of the snowy but
useless department OF foreign affairs,
$10,O00,O 900; the kings civil list, $3,000,-
600. There is, then, the annual interest
on what is known as the consolidated
Tor bonded) Italian debt. The interest
amounts each year to nearly 500, 000,-
600 (the United States expended for in
terest last year $37, O0o, Ooo); $4,000, 900
for interest on the floating italian debt /;
$4,000, 0O0 for what are known as "fxed
annuities," which remain "fxed;"
100000 for the department OF
finance; s10,O00,Oo0 for the mainte-
nance of post offices (for the loss from
their operation) anS the government
telegraphy system; 100000 for the
promotion of agriculture" 100000
for general expenses" 100000 for the
maintenance of the senate and cham
Der of deputies, and the balance for sun
dry and miscellaneous expenses, an ex-
| act subdivision of which under the Ital.
ian system of keeping accounts, is i'm.
practicable.
The present debt of Italy is equivalent
| to So SOC, 900 900, and as there is deficit
every year, and small provision for Q
sinking fund, it is constantly on the in.
crease. The taxes in Italy, which is q
poor country, include many items
which in other countries would be ex
| empt. There are taxes on land, taxes
on buildings, taxes on incomes, taxes
on SUGGESTIONS, excise taxes, taxes from
customs, which yield in year s50,O0O,.
600 only, and octroi duties, imposed on
marketable property brought into cit.
les, and which amount in year to more
than SIS, O00, 900.
There is the tobacco monopoly, which
is virtually tax on smokers, of $40,
100000 a year; the salt monopoly, 9
culinary tax, of s15,000,O00, and local
taxes for the maintenance of schools
| The state gets revenue from telegraph
| offices and prisons; from the use Of
state property, leases to individuals
stamps IAN item of nearly sec, 200, o00)
and from lotteries, an item of SIS, 0O0, 00(
| more.
But all these taxes, monopolies and
speculative methods of raising the
wind" fall short of supplying the full
needs of the Italian government, which
falls behind each year and becomes in
volved in deeper obligation. In addi
ton to the general taxation by the
| government, there is local or commune
taxation amounting to 1928, 000,0 900 4
year, while the debt of the italian com
munes amounts, collectively, to $500, 900
The marvel to any observer is that Ital
ians have been able TO meet so much
of this vast and oppressive burden a.
they have, in view of the fact that the
per capita national debt of Italy is now
SIS, and the absence of SIS Tor its equiv
alent in Gre) has been noticed among
Italians generally by all travelers.-N
Y. Sun.