The St. Louis Republic., 1902-06-15
includes Income Tax, Reduction of
Military Service and Enforce
ment of Law of Associations.
C0LDLY Received BY NATION.
Combes Ministry Has Difficult Task
Before 1t in Restoration of Elas-
ITCHY to Financial Condition
of the Republic.
BY ]. CORNELT.

| SPECIAL BY CABLE TO THE NEW YORK
! HERALD AND ST. LOUIS REPUBLIC.
| Paris. June I4.-CCopyrignt. I9O2.)-It has
| been observed that, in the case OF viperous
animals. the length of life is in relation to
the duration Of their interuterne existence
| Ministries. being creatures of convention,
escape this law II they did not, the
Conlbes Cabinet would not have long to
! live. for II was formed with exceptional
! rapidity.
II is bound to say that it is a Cabinet of
the second rank. but We have in France a
pToverb that appears to fit its case exactly:
.'Faute de gr.ves Ou mango des merles. )"
which may be freely interpreted: When
you can't get quail be content with larks."
VI. Waldeck-Rousseau was the quail; NJ.
Combes is the LARK. By that do not mean
to suggest that he is i nonentity. His Ian
guage IS clear and precise. Besides. credit
must be given him for having set a proper
valuation on the collaboration of NJ. Rou-
Vier as Minister OF Finance for NJ. ROuvier
inspires in financial circles that sort of con-
itdence which can be commanded but not
explained.
NJ Rouvier Will be the chief man in the
Cabinet. whose first task will be TO study
and solve budgetary problems and restore
some little elasticity to a financial condi-
tiOu which has suffered from The very re-
forms instituted by the Waldeck-Rousseau
Cabinet.
French Income Tax.
This will be a difficult nut to crack, for
the new Cabinets programme comprises
one measure of reform of the very first i'm
portanCe-the substitution OF a general in
come tax for taxes Al present in force.
An income tax is one of the articles of the
Republican creed, and has been for thirty
two years. The French. Il nation are
very conservative and opposed to innCVa-
tiOus.
NJ. Combes is also TO be congratulated on
having retained VI. DelCasse as Minister OF
y rot. ton fr.r rk-rF
matter, was necessity. One cannot dis
miss Minister who has Just got back from
Russia.
General Andres continuation in office was
equally necessary. General Andre was the
Op]eCt or daily insult by the reactiOnarieS,
whose .-oete noire" he is. His departure
from office would have transformed their
electoral defeat into political victory.
The selection of NJ Camille Pellantin for
The Navy Department Is original. NJ. Pei
iantin Is 4 journalist of much talent. who
mas waSed ferocious campaigns against
most of our Admirais. He has too much
intelligence not to come out all right and
the officers who now become his suboTdi-
mates are not likely to forget that patience
~as' one Of the leading virtues in the days
OF sailing vessels.
Senator Chaumie viii make an excellent
Minister of Public instruction. He is very
highly regarded by his colleagues. 1 should
have preferred to see him holding office
as Minister of Justice, his colleague in
that position, NJ. Vale, having begun his
Cabinet career by informing = reporter that
ne NdS eGtlIS 70 tlSpGIiSE WIFI the services
of the Public Prosecutor, VI. Bu!ot, be-
cause the latter had been too easy IN
the Humbert affair.
Now. il. Bulot shares with General
Andre the honor of being particularly OBJ
noXious to the Nationalists because he
made the speeches for the prosecution in
the High Court in the Assumptionist
Fathers" trials. He is hated also by the
anarchists. one of whose heroes. Ravachol,
tried to blow up his residence.
The adverSarieS Of the Republic joyfully
welcomed the news of this execution"
but it filled the Republic with dissatisfac-
tion, which will chl'ge NJ Vale to re-
ncunce his evil designs.
Programme CoIdIy Received.
The other members of the Ministry are
not of special significance.
The ministerial programme. which in
Guides. in addition 10 Il direct income tax.
the reduction of military service to two
years. the enforcement of the law of as
snciatigns and the repeal of the FallouX
educational law, was received with cold
ness. however. the programme of the pre-
cading Cabinet had been received with fury
ana yet that Ministry lasted three years.
Besides. the Radical ma ioritv. which has
been re-enforced by the Socialists under NJ
Jaure's leadership. is determined to hold
fast. whatever happens, and there has
never been so much marty discipline in the
French Chamber as there Is now since 1870
This is Of good augury.
Except for the moving cut of the old and
moving in Of the new Ministers. the chief
event Of the week has been the Judgment
ordering II. Joseph ReinGch and the Steele
newspaper to pay 500 damages to the
widow and son of Colonel Henry. who had
demanded I,O 900 francs The court took
into consideration the good faith of the
journalist and the crime committed by
Colonel Henry.