The Philipsburg mail., 1898-08-05
ITALY'S MANY TAXES
The People of That Country Are
Sorely Oppressed.
Improvidence of the Governmental
Financial System Results
in EXtortiOnate AS
easements.

The population OF the united States
is about 2h times that of Italy. The
population of Italy was 31,00O,000 in
1896; the present population of the
United States is 77,5Oo,O00. The annual
expenses of Italy for governmental pur-
poses are in excess of the equivalent OF
$500 900, 900 in American money, or
more than $10O,0O0,0G0 above the eX-
pcnses of the United States government
I 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 ack nowledgment the amount of
such ordinary expenses to be raised
from taxation is in excess of $3.50, 100000
year.
For it's war department Italy spends
in year S45,OO0,O00; for its lazy de-
partment, $2O,OOO,0OO; public instruc-
| ton, by the central government, $780,
| 100000; public works, $1o,oOO,0o0; 1.-The
| expenses of collection" (public officials,
agents, tax gatherers and clerSs), $685.
| 900, 900; maintenance of the SNOWY but
useless department of foreign affairs,
$1O,00O,OOO; the kings civil list, S3,000,-
900. There is, then, the annual interest
on what is known as the consolidated
| Cor bonded) Italian debt. The interest
amounts each year to nearly $1,000
900 (the United States expended for in-
terest last year $37 900, ,O0O); S15,O0o,000
for interest on t he floating Italian debt;
| $16,O0O,OOO for what are known as "fixed
annuities," which regain "fxed;'
S4,O0O,0OO for the department OF
finance; $1O,OO0,OOO for the mainte-
nance Of post offices (for the loss from
their operation) and the government
telegraphy system; 100000 for the
"promotion of agriculture; $2,O00,00C
for general expenses" $5O0,000 for the
maintenance of the senate and cham.
ber of deputies, and the balance for sun
| dry and miscellaneous expenses, an ex.
act subdivision of which, under the 1tal'
ian system of keeping accounts, is i'm
practicable.
The present debt of Italy is equivalent
to So, 500, 100000, and as there is a deficit
every year, and small provision for
sinking fund, it is constantly on the in
crease. The taxes in Italy, which is
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 $50,O00,-
900 only, and octroi duties, imposed on
| 4o1>1 1o hro,1uh+ t,o oit
les, and which amount in year to more
than SIS, 5,O00,000.
There is the tobacco monopoly, which
is virtually tax on smokers, of $4O,-
100000 a year; the salt monopoly, a
culinary tax, of $15,0O0,000, 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 Gan item OF nearly $4,000, ,000),
and from lotteries, an item Of SIS 100000
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 $125,000,O00 a
year, while the debt of the Italian COM
munes amounts, collectively, to 100000
The marvel to any observer is that ltal-
ians have been able to meet SO much
of this vast and oppressive burden as
they have, in view of the fact that the
per capita national debt Of Italy is now
$75, and the absence of SIS Tori its equiv
!, alent in lire) has been noticed among
Italians generally by all travelers.-N
Y. Sun.