Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-06-29
How the Old World Nations Raise Cash.

When a nation wants TO raise money
| the high and mighty ones who handle
the national finances sometimes dis
play remarkable ingenuity in devising
ways to raise the wind" and "un-
| considered trifies" are made to pay
large revenues 10 the government. Not
long ago Spain was wOefully in need
Of ready cash-she usually is, but this
time il was n ease OF must" Now.
about everything and everybody was
taxed already. but some genius Of the
financial department hit upon a rather
clever scheme. The nation was or
dered to bring its knives and forks
and tableoIOths to government bureaus
20 be stamped. Anybody who neglected
to do so or had these articles stamped
except by the official stampers was
liable to fine Of 500. A good fat fee
was charged for the stamping, and
Spain Melted the neat little sum Of
Sc, 800 0G0 in fines and fees. The reason
given for the order was that official
stamp was for purposes Of identifica-
ton in case the articles We're stolen.
Eighteen months after Spain again
was hard up and an order was issued
taking over the book binding business
Of the kingdom by the government
Also all the mules born within the
year of the order had to he branded
officially at a cost CT 81 a brand
penalty for negiecting to observe the
order $40
Austria every now and then makes
, frantic attempts 10 scrape money to-
eeiher. Her champion EFFORT was the
institution of the imperial chimney
sweeps, who had 10 sweep All chimneys
once a month-for fear Of fires, the
government said.
For each chimney ij cents was
charged. So, virtually. every house
holder was taxed that amount a month
for every chimney to his house. II he
neglected TO have his chimneys swept
once a month he was fined $50. Then
one day there came another deficit In
the budget. and il was ordered that the
nation should wash. Bath houses with
gymnasiums attached We're built-ex-
cellent institutions-and IL was given
out as a tip that any one who did
not patroniZe these places and pay the
fee Of 10 cents visit would be looked
upon with disfavor by the officials. SO
Austria went and washed itself, and
G.rmany's most remarkable venture
in the line Of raising money was when
she decided to manufacture tooth
powder for her suffering people. AS
rule Germany is too prosperous to be
obliged 10 resort to unusual expedients
to raise money. but now and then a lit
tie extra tax comes in most handy
The tooth powder experiment was not
a great success. because the demand
for that commodity in the empire was
not as great as had been counted upon.
better paying idea was the de-
termination by the state to make
| money by spring cleaning its peoples
houses, and official scrubbers and
cleaners We're appointed who had to be
engaged by everybody whose income
was over certain sum and paid
fixed rate In the interests OF public
| health" the state called 1t; but $4,000
| 900 profit was made out OF the deal, and
| the houses that really needed clean
| ing We're left out, because they could
MT pay for such Injuries.
Turkey Is a perfect terror when hard
up. as she nearly always is: and her
| favorite dodge to escape paying her
| small officials. whose salaries are
| chronicaily in arrears. is to quarter
| them on the peasantry under pretense
Of tax collecting. and let them help
| themselves, which they do. A really
clever wind raiser OF Turkeys. how
ever. was to levy a heavy taX-$l25-
on English hats. II worn by natives
Now. the only people who could ar
| ford to pay this were "swells. and
| they did 50. for an English hat thus
became a hallmark Of wealth and posi-
| ton and scores of people who couldn't
| really afford IL did so. too because they
wanted to be lin the SWIM and
| scraped the $l25 together for the sake
of looking tony" Turkey made big
haul out of that.
OF all wild notions for money MAX
ing however Greece takes the lead.