The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1908-08-08
SOME TAX SCHEMES
oAlaINAL SaxTho % ApoerkD ~
FOREIGN NATIONS.
Seems That governments Can usualiy
De ReiIsd On 70 ppveIsp IDEAS
When Rsisirs Of Money
10 In Question.

10 In Question.
Some queer expedients have fire.
Quently been adopted by the European
governments to tax their people The
method usually devised Is some So
called public safety" measure, which
will bring In money II it Is followed
and will stu have the same effect II
1t Is disobeyed.
In this class was one which the Ger
man government utilized at one time.
II sent out charwomen with instruc-
lions to inspect and clean the houses
of everybody. II the people objected
they were fined. and II they didn't they
had to pay charge for the services
thus rendered. Altogether the nation
al funds we're augmented by $1,000.
900 in this way.
On another occasion only certain
kind of tooth powder was allowed to
be sold In the stores-that kind made
in the government factories. Rather
than pay the high price demanded, the
people preferred not to use any denti-
frice at all, and the tax failed In its
purpose.
Austria Is another country that has
succeeded in raising money by forcing
cleanliness upon Its people. Under a
penalty OF $50 Austria demands that
every householder shall have his Chin
ney swept at least once a month for
fear of fire, the work to be done by
the government sweep. She found the
measure most lucrative, as she
charged tax Of 45 cents for every
chimney cleaned.
Italy has . plan for raising money
that has been called "a tax on i'm
beetles" This Is the state lottery, from
which she raises considerable sum.
Out Of the numbers from 1 to 80 every
Saturday night Ave winning numbers
are drawn. For the player to win It
Is necessary to draw one or more of
these numbers. II you draw one right
you gain IL times what you paid-that
Is, IS probabilities in favor OF the gov
eminent. II you draw two numbers
you. gain ESQ times what you paid.
but you have only ten probabilities in
your favor, while the government has
$3.50. II you draw three you gain A.
$50 times what you risked. but while
the probabilities In your favor are still
ten, those of the government are H.
470. and the same proportion IL main
tanned II you draw four or all of the
numbers.
France succeeds In raising $14O, 000.-
900 yearly out Of stamp duties. When
you visit gay Paris your hotel bills
come to you with q stamp on them.
Every check drawn bears an extra
receipt stamp, across which you must
sign your name. Theater tickets must
be stamped. Even posters on the
boards are stamped. the value varying
with the size of the bills.
For municipal purposes its towns
also adopt queer expedients. Every
morsel of food. drink or fuel must pay
tax, while Paris puts tax Of one
penny on all spirits, besides mulcting
| ~ tax.
Holland has similarly levied several
queer taxes. Besides imposing duty
Of 2 cents on every person who enters
q tavern before noon. abe used to levy
taxes on those who visited places Of
entertainment, on marriages and on
many other things.
II a person were buried out Of the
district to which he belonged his near
est of kin would have to pay twice the
amount that would have had to be
paid had the burial taken place in
his own district. Even boots and
shoes were taxed, regulated by the
size Of the article-the smaller the
shoe the smaller the tax.
In Switzerland, to be exempt from
military service, one must pay a tax
| Of $25 a year, no matter whether one
be a cripple or an invalid. And II the
bill is neglected the Swiss Is prohib.
tied from entering any beer garden or
public entertainment until the full sum
Is paid.
Greece attempted to raise money by
making every smoker take out H.
cense, but as the smokers objected In
such strenuous manner, causing riots
In the streets and In other ways EN-.
barassing the government. the plan
failed. But she compelled her people
to purchase the national emblem in
the form Of hyins swallow. These
she had manufactured In bronze In
large quantities. charging a few cents
for them. Any person moi. having one
In his or her possession was liable tr
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