Daily camera., 1898-08-10
ITALY'S MANY TAXES
The People Of That Country Are
Sorely Oppressed
Improvidence of the Governmental
Financial System Results
in ExtortiOnate As
sessments.

The population of the United States
is about 2A times that of Italy. The
population of Italy was 31,G0O,0O0 in
1896; the present population of the
United States is 77,50O,OO0. 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 $1OO,0OO,000 above the ex-
pcnses 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, 600, 900
year.
For its war department Italy spends
in a year $45,000,000; for its navy de-
partment, $20,000,0O0; public instruc-
ton, by the central government, $10,-
100000; public works, $10,0O0,0Oc; "the
expenses of collection" (public officials,
agents, tax gatherers and clerks), $685.
100000; maintenance of the snowy but
useless department of foreign affairs,
$1O,OOO,OO0; the kings civil list, $3,oO0,-
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 $100,OO0,-
900 (he United States expended for i'm
terest last year $a7 7,OOO,OOO); $15,OOO,OOO
for interest on the floating Italian debt;
SIG, 900 for what are known as fixed
annuities," which regain ''fNed;"
S4,OOC,OOo for the department of
finance; $1O,O00,0OO for the mainte-
nance of post offices (for the loss from
their operation) and the government
telegraphy system; 100000 for the
promotion of agriculture; $2,000,OO0
for general expenses" s500,O0o 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 he Ital-
ian system of keeping accounts, is i'm
practicable.
The present debt of Italy is equivalent
to So, 500, 100000, and as there is deficit
every year, and small provision for
sinking fund, it is constantly on the in
crease. The taxes in Italy, which is a
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 a year $50, ,OOO,-
900 only, and octroi duties, imposed on
marketable property brought into cit
les, and which amount in year to more
than $15, ,OOO, 900.
There is the tobacco monopoly, which
is virtually tax on smokers, of $40,-
100000 year; the salt monopoly,
culinary tax, of $15,O0O,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 (an item of nearly $20,O0o,OOO),
and from lotteries, an item of SIS, ,00O,0 900
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,OOO,0OO
year, while the debt of the italian com
munes amounts, collectively, to 5000, 900.
The marvel to any observer is that Ital-
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 (or its equiv
alent in lire) has been noticed among
Italians generally by all travelers.-N.
Y. Sun.
Dreyfus Not Baaly treated.