Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-23
DODG|NG INCOME TAX
All France Aroused Over New
Revenue Measure.
PLANS TO EVADE THE LAW
Money to Be Hidden or Invested
Across the Frontier.
A SYSTEM OF INQUIS1TION
Women Among Those Who Most
strenuously object to Pay
ment of Assessments.
A SYSTEM OF INQUIS1T1ON

Special Correspondence OF The Star.
PARIS March s. 1907.
What fabulous wealth fructifes undream-
ed of among the snug upper middle classes
of this money-saving country? Can 1t be
got at-today for a juster division of tax
alton: tomorrow, as they suspect. for
killing in the sense of revolutionary So
cialism?
All the burning questions of the coming
Income tax are there; and 1 who live on
the borders of the bourgeoisie cOssue can
not but hear, from morn till night. among
the threats of of family and the
squeals Of wealthy widows whispered con-
sultatious on the hiding of money and low
hrcathed suggestions for evading the most
daring and generous minded taxation ex-
pertinent ever proposed by a modern gov
eminent
This law" says Jean Jaures (who likes
10 be called THE Peoples TribuneD. will
make known the balance sheets of capital
lists and bourgeois: and the information will
permit us for future legislation. to reckon
the just part they shall pay toward the
needs Of workinGmen. in accordance with
the principle Of human solidarity
How? Which? The daring of the PROPOSE
ton consists in this vital difference from
all existing income tax laws: for its object
Is to get at the true facts of incomes. No
complaisaut estimates based on ilusory
declarations" Will appease it: but veri-
table inquisition OF the wooden sock, the
bias de- Lame" the secret savings of French
families. Briefly. they are not going 10 take
any Frenchmans word about his income!
The Government Estimates
How much Of your income goes in house
rent The French government-to get an
idea to start on-is calculating from one
seventh TO one-tenth. In the ministry of
finances there is vast series of MS. on
vellum I'm which the house rents and rental
values of IL $50. 900 French families multi
piled 10y seven OF ten, represent tentatively
the l.uooOuJ annual incomes of Frances
souls to a family.
All are Included orkingmen in tene-
ment rooms and milliouaires in palaces. All
must be- liable To pay their share-accord-
Ing to their means What is their means?
The rent calculation gives first idea In
Paris no one earning less than 500 year
will be- asked to pay income tax. In the
smallest cummGnos the exemption goes
down to $50 per year. by "a sliding scale
Above these sums all salary earners will
pay " Per cent annually: and their employ
crs VII furnish the treasury with detailed
pay rolls ON each January l.
So where q Paris workngman earning
500 year VIII pay nothing, a Paris clerk
earning SII" viii pay 500 and small
town artisan or clerk earning only 500
Will pay the same. but profits OF agrlCul-
tural exploitation being liable to 3ia per
cent above $50 exemption, a farmer earn
ing $3.50 a year VIII pay $50 income tax
always to replace the four existing direct
taxes. VIZ, real estate. personal property,
commercial licenses and the onerous and
highly productive tax on the doors and
windows of your dwelling!
Now. the preliminary rent calculation
shows that there are nearly nine and a
half millions Of French incomes not above
$500 per year-represcnting 3,OOO,OOO popu-
latiOu-yOu can imagine how workingmen
md INF M he TDt.TS 1A.Ht m
look forward to their income tax receipts
as cheap even gratis lottery tickets to
participate in the bleeding" OF the other
ten millions!
So they smile at their own figures Why,
the rent calculation indicates only 3.4OO
multi-millionaires and Observation-Disclosures
ing. not only all the Rothschilds, Le-
baudys, Says. Periers, Mieris. Chauchards.
Deutschs. Blancs and Hennessys. but in
comes running down to $4,000 annually!
This list ought to be doubled!' exclaimed
the minister OF finances before the chamber
committee. And when they come to $500
incomes of so 600 or less. 81 900 incomes Of
$1,000 or less and 125.00O incomes OF 5000
or less they close the other eye signlfi-
Canty. Even from the rent calculations
$4,000 incomes OF 200 or less, and 45O,-
900 incomes OF Sl,5UJ or less, delightful
surprises may be hoped in this land of Sc
cretive living and ferocious boarding
Every workingman whose wife sister or
daughter has served in a bourgeois fam
lily knows how utterly fallacious may be
an income calculation based on rent!
Two Cases in Point
Take the two mothers OF young French
couple of my acquaintance. One. widow of
a deceased colonel who married her for her
money. has $1,000 revenue from gilt-edged
bonds and lives In $40 per day boarding
house. The other. widow of a north France
wool spinner, has half of $780, 900 in taxable
real estate. but as she pays only $500 a
year rent for a deliciously furnished little
Paris apartment, its multiplication even by