The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-25


were united under one government the
name of the country meant little more
than a geographical expression. and
there are still so many differences in
habits and languages that it is difficult
10 speak of the inhabitants as a whole.
The man from Piedmont may not be as
different from the Neapolitan as he is
from the Frenchman, but the dfssimi-
AaTliy is almost as great. In many re-
spects the domestic habits of the
housewife Of Florence are as strange
10 the woman of Rome as are those of
a resident of London, and the man
ners Of Sicilian are as amusing to
the Inhabitants of Milan as the be-
havior of an American
Every province has its own STYLES
ana customs quite as independent of
It's heighbOrs as if they were foreign
erss To suddenly unite this people I'M
der one government and make all class
IS amenable to one code of laws was
most difficult undertaking. Great as
me obstacles were recognized to be
the Italians knew that unity not only
reduced the danger of their being dis
membered by the powers, but afforded
them their only chance of welding an
other nation from the fragments of
the old Roman empire. While there are
many discOuraging features connected
with the reorganization, the majority
undoubtedly join in the opinion that
the coalition must be continued in the
face of all difficulties.
The Burden of Taxation.
Che thing which the people Of united
Italy share in common is the burden
or heavy taxation, for the state takes
ABOUT % per cent of the income of the
Tu0 go
than is assessed by the government of
any other country. Nothing ESCAPES
taxation, and land foodstuffs and
other. necessities Of life are levied upon
most heavily. Land assessments are
so high that the small owner hest
tates 70 improve his property for fear
or the, increase in his taxes. That this
precsution IS necessary is shown bv
zNthe fact that the land tax alone
amounts to 20 or 20 per cent, and when
the income tax is added to this it fire.
quently runs as high as 40 and 80 per
cent.
Some OF the rules of taxation are
very-unfafr. For example, in MANY
conInunes in the southern part OF
Italy5the saddle horse Of the landlord
is -declared exempt, but no provision
Is ever made to exclude the peasants
donkey. Aside from the heavy drain
upon land, foodstuffs and personal
monopoltes Of salt, matches and to-
bacco. Armed guards patrol the whole
length OF the seaCoast TO protect even
the water of the ocean from the peo-
pie, some Of whom might manufac-
ture salt by carrying off a bucket of
water and allowing it to evaporate. 1t
-uur- unusual TO have two kinds of
taxes fevied against one article. Anv
kind Of public document or CONNER
ciaI-paper has 10 be stamped and
even the paper that must be used is
subject to an additional fee. One must
pay more for n railway ticket than
is marked on the face Of II.
Assessor Asks the Neiqhbors.
One OF the worst features of this
system of taxation is the method of
assessment. There is no rule or order
TO II. An ignorant assessor comes TO
the house. looks over the furniture. in
quires how many servants YOU keen. /
now many horses, etc; after this he
inquiries OF your neighbors about your
habits, and upon the information /
gained in this haDhaZard manner he !
makes an estimate of what YOUR in +
come ought TO be and fixes your as 4
Sessment accordingly. It goes with /
out saying that by such a system he I
plumbers continually and rarely places
the valuation at anything like what /
1t should be- Some families pay too /
little, while the majority of household !
ers are imposed upon. a more expen- /
siVe system could not possibly be in I
vented The returns for one commune
showed that where $4,000 had been +
raised Dy taxation, il had cost SO. 500 1
TO levy and collect the same.
Agriculture has long been the main /
source OF wealth in Italy, and the bur- /
den of taxation falls on the people
who engage in this industry. Wheat
is their principal crop. but, they are /
unable TO raise enough to feed the
population and large quantities are
imported every year. Italy is second /
only 70 France as wine producing
country, and leads both Austria and
Spain in this respect Italian wine is
good Tor home consumption, but is un-
skillfully manufactured and does not
travel well. It is only recently that
the VINE grower could be induced to
adopt scientific methods TO improve its
strength and lasting qualities but he
is now beginning to contribute to the
export trade. Most Of the Italian wine
which leaves the country is sent to
southern France where il Is put
through process and converted into
Bordeaux.
The wages Of Iaoorers and the in
comes of professional men in Italy are
very low The daily wage for skilled
labor runs from twenty-five cents TO q
dollar and a half while unskilIed labor
runs from twenty cents to a dollar In
some OF the more prosperous parts of
the. country farm hands receive better
Fay but in southern Italy wages are
frequently as low as ten cents a day I
IN the latter case there are often ex-
ira considerations in the way Of free
lodging. To secure a government posi-
ton beginners frequently work for one
or-tw0 years for nothing. Among all
the government officials, including am :