The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-11-16

Y 90 that nush farm goods are now sent
over the country by mail. Butter ana
cheese are thus shipped, and wine is
marketed by post In two-bottle lots. Most
of these syndicates nave their own IL
b-aries, and 1t Ii largely due to them
that the National Government has estab-
lished a bank with fund Of about S.
900 900, which has been loaned out to
farmers at per cent. interest. They
have also decreased the taxes on farm
lands and provided that certain lands
shall be exempt from taxation
These syndicates buy things In quanti-
ties for their members, and 1t might pay
our exporters Of farm implements and
fertilizers to treat directly with them.
Taxes in France.
Speaking of taxes. the tax exemptions
of the farmers have caused q decrease In
the revenue of $5,000oO0. and this came
from the very smallest Of the taxpayers.
Nevertheless. there are some taxes almost
infinitesimal. There are more than $780,
900 persons in this country who each pay
a land tax ranging from 10 to 90 cents;
more than 100000 pay from 81 TO g, and
there are more than 100000 land holders
who each pay from "a to IS per annunn.
II farmer pays rent Of less than $50
he Is untaxed. II he pays $50 he IL
taxed only on $50, out II he pays more
than $50 he IL taxed per cent. on the
whole sum.
Income Taxes.
Almost all taxes here are based on !n-
comes or rents. Business property 70
taxed 8 per cent. Of the mount fp- which
it rents, and IL il Is idle It is not taxed
at all. II store or house burns down
the tax on the land steps IRON .aat mo-
ment, and II factory stops work it's
tax stops. Every loom in the silk mill
pays a tax while 1t In working. but IL
1t is broken or becomes idle the tax Of
flcials are notified and the tax 70 not
co,lectible
In Lyons all buildings are free from
taxation for tive years after their erec.,
ton. no matter whether they are rented
or not. This is to stimulate building and
to enable the owner to get back sorno-
thing of the first cost.
The policy of the Government 10 to
make every man pay taxes In proportion
tc the benefit he receives, and this policy
extends to the smallest of such BENEFITS
For this reason every chair and table
which Is placed OF the pavement outside
a store or restaurant must pay its tax
Sometimes cafes and restaurants thus mo-
nopolize the whole street. but The people
do not grumble. for they know the owne
10 paying for the privilege.
Big Stores and Their Street Sales.
Every plant set out on the street pays
tax. as well as every counter for the
sale of goods. Many Of the large depart
ment stores Of Paris and other cities use
the streets during bright days to show
goods and sell them. The wares are
spread out upon tables and the clerks
stand there and hawk them out to pas
sersby. When the goods are so displayed
the merchants are ia xed. but when taken
in they are not charged. ts
There are such counters about the Bon
Marche and Au Printenips. two Of the
largest stores OF Paris, and also about a
great department store near the Hotel
de Vile. Some stores have movable coun-
ters on wheels. as large and as long as
the counters inside. which are pulled out
during the shopping hours and pushed
In at night thus increasing the working
space about 80 per cent. The Bazaar of
the Hotel de Vile has three sides facing
the streets. and its pavements are filled
with goods. I looked over the counters
and found many American articles. There
were cheap watches, carpenter tools from
New England. American ink and Ameri-
can canned fruits. As I waited the bell
rang for closing, the store, and the clerks
shoyed the counters from the street in
side, and within Ave minutes the great
building was surrounded by blank walls
OF steel, which had dropped from above,
covering the windows. The next day was
rainy, and when I came past the store
at noon the business was all inside, and
i was told that no tax was collected, ex-
ceats for such times as the street was 80
used, pr ar .fsTs;8
u takes an, army of officers to collect
such taxes and hence France has large
office-holding class. There are families OF
Professional oficeholders who feed at the
public crib from generation to generation,
being backed by political influences.
4ws Legalized Lotteries.
In France even Government bonds are
taxed, but nearly ever issue has a lottery
attachment. City and municipal bonds
bear low rates of interest, but here are
always number Of PRICES connected with
them and the lottery element IL as great
an attraction as the investment itself.
The Paris exposition bonds were issued
In this way, 40 were also those of the
exposition Of 1889. Lotteries are insti-
tuted for all sorts of purposes and are
generally patronized. They are operated
fairly, and the prizes sometimes 20 to the
rich ana sometimes to the poor. A coach
man at Lyons lately drew 100000 francs,
or $4,000, and the Rothschild brothers
more recently got $4,000 from tickets in
q lottery organized for the support of
INDECENT artists. The Rothsehilds refused
to take money, and gave It over into the
hands OF Coquelin, the French actor who
had charge of the fund.
Small Bonds for the United States.
The United States would never permit
its Government bonds to be issued with a
lottery attachment. 1t Is contrary to our
ideas OF the right. But here are many
hings outside this which the French can
teach us as to handling our finances
They know how to keep their own debts
among their own people and when they
annually pay out 81 per head in interest
they have the satisfaction Of knowing
that 1t all goes back into France Their
bonds are Of such a nature that every
French family, however poor, owns some
OF them. This might be done in America
II our bonds we're In small denominations
and 1t would undoubtedly tend 10 hind