Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1907-04-11
FREncH MOST FRUGAL RACE.
Less Than a Quarter of country's
Wealth Held by MiiIionaires.

Less man Quarter OF Country's
Wealth Held by Miiiionaires.
New York Sun.-France is often
spoken of as the richest country In
the world. A French writer recent
ly spoke of the republic as the reser-
voir of capital for all Europe Even
America has been tapping its enor
nous resources of late for big rail-
way loans.
Yet there are no colossal fortune 5
in france. There not a single
man who ranks with the great capr
talists of England or the United
States.
The millionaires of France possess
not more than one-fifth of the coun.
trys wealth, real and personal TIL.
significance of this Is enhanced by
the fact that the owner of 100000 Is
multimillionaire in France-it Is
l,oo0,000 francs. Four-fifths of the
capital in the country is held by peo-
pie ranging from modea ate circu 4,
stances down to the level Just above
absolute poverty.
i,ie distribution of wealth is infer
red from the statistics of inheritances
which are carefully kept in France
on account of the tax which is levied
on the estates of all deceased per
sons. The annual mortality for the
entire population averages about 75S,.
600 persons, of whom 100000 are
minors under 20 years. These are
not capable of leaving any estate.
OF the remaining number ISL, 900
on the average die without any prop
erty of appraisal, while 377, 1000 leave
appreciable heritages. From this II
Is deduced that more than two out OF
every three adults of both sexes are
capitalists on a large or small scale
In 1908 the total amount OF sue.
session taxed by the government
was 100000 francs, or 1884, 500.
QUO. or this only l,l43, ,O00. 900
francs, or s22S.600.000. was left bv
millionaires.
Persons of small fortunes left 3.
ssl,o0o,0o0 francs or $756200 900
as would indicate that the wealth
of France was held by rich people
and those in humber circumstances
In the proportion of IL to As, or Ices
than one-fourth of the wealth in the
hands of lie rich class
But II is not even true that IN
greater part of the country's wealth
is held by those possessing 500 0oe
francs 100000, or upward. or the
3,1sl,00o,000 francs left in 1909 by
persons below the millionaire class
1921 100000 was left by persons who
owned less than half a million francs.
and 9oS.000.000 francs was left bv
persons having less than 10000
, francs.
The enormous accumulation of the
French wealth. as well as Ii extraor
binary subdivision, is explained large
~ by the remarkable ffugality am
thrift of the people. More people 10
the thousand look ahead in France
and make provision for a rainy day
than in any other country.
Al the last published count there
We're l1,967,772 working people who
We're making regular monthly de
posits In the postal savings banks
and their total savings amounted TO
a,453,000.000 francs or $3.50 600,00
II Is a common sight IN banking
houses to see old women OF the g
cIerge class produce one or two bonds
and collect interest on them. The
shops OF France are well stocked
and the proprietor. Of little bust.
ness keeps adding and adding and
saving sou by sou until one day he
sells o'ie at good price and retires
~ middle age to suburban villa to
live easily on the interest of his life's
savings.
There are no large landowners in
the English or American or Russian
sense, but eight and half million
frenchmen own outright the farms
which they cultivate. Some of them
consist only OF field or two, but all
are sufficient, with great patience and
skillfull tiIlage, to support life, BRING
up family and even give the daugb-
tiers modest dowry
80