New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-10
T4TATION REToLTTEON.

The income tax proposals Of the French gov
eminent must he regarded revolutionary. i
would be difficult 10 find on record an eXam-
1le Of so sweeping a change as that which
fhese contemplate II is not 4 revision nor i
modification Of the present system which ".
CaillauK has devised. but abolition of it and
fhe substitution Of something entirely new. In
Great Britain the income tax was adopted and
Is maintained as a mere supplement TO the gen
eral system. and it was I'm that capacity that
II was employed I'm this country for some years
ana that IL was attempted 10 reimpOse it. But
the French Minister Of Finance proposes sub.
sritutiOn. A tax system which has been in
force for century or more, under republic,
emperor and king. IS TO Ice swept away, and in
its place there is TO be a new one never before
tried in that or any country.
Generally speaking, taxes upon property are
10 be abolished, and in their place are 10 be
taxes upon incomes. Thus the direct taxes upon
land. urban and rural, which have hitherto real
ized about S20.250,oo0, are 10 be replaced with
a levy upon the income from land. 10 the es-
timated amount OF S1O,000,000. Taxes upon
ru'lfings amounting 10 $1S2J0.OOO, will vanish.
and IN their place will be taxes upon the in
come from buildings OF perhaps $l9,2J0,OO0.
The window and door tax, which has always
seemed an OdiOus impOst. will disappear. and so
viii that on licenses, though these have been
rtallElIZ some elsb.sBRVVV anu H-t.obVtD re-
spectively. The tax of S14.3J0OO0 on incomes
from French securities win remain. while that
az 81 .sOOO0O on those from foreign securities
will be increased 10 S9.250O00. The old tax
on transfers of securities will be abolished
The taxes thus far mentioned on incomes
from land, buildings and securities will be at
the rate of 4 per cent There will be another
set Of taxes. at the rate Of 3i2 per cent. on In
comes from commerce, manufactures and agri,
salaries pensions and professional incomes.
These are 10 be levied upon all incomes how
ever small. Finally. there Is 10 be an addi-
fonal income tax on sliding scale on all in
comes Of more than $1,000, beginning with only
Une-ffih Of per cent On incomes under $1,000
and Increasing 10 per cent on all OF 10000
or more This is additional Ia the other III
come tax already mentioned so that man hav-
ing an income Of $4,000 from land or build
Ings viii have 10 pay per cent on the class
Of income and per cent more on the amount,
or s per cent. or $1,000. in all. A man deriving
$4,000 a year from commerce or manufactures
.ayill have 20 pay ~ per cent on tho class and
per cent more on The amount, or az per cent.
81 500 ia NIL n 4 lawyer or doctor makes
$4,000 year he viii have 10 pay . per cent
class and per cent amount tax. or per cent
Sl.see in all.
u Is not clear that NJ. Caaux has fulfilled
bis promise 10 devise an income tax system
which would not Dee nqnsltOrlal or offensive.
ON the contrary. there arc ntimatiOns that his
proposed scheme sins greatly in that respect.
" 50, we must not wonder II Was scarcely 10
De expected that he could achieve the impOs-
slble and n really does not seem possible to
arrange an income tax system which shall h..
complete and yet not lfe inqusltorial However,
that feature may not altogether condemn the
scheme Ia France. The income tax has been
pretty successfully maintained for many years
IN England, and we do not know that Jacques