The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-11-13


 tie. They will be the best men the gen. erals can pick out, and when their studies are over the French army will possess a corps d'elite of great value.
 Everything points to the early passing of an income tax law in France, which is peculiarly disagreeable to our finan- ciers The hope that the senate would interfere in favor of the rich Is rapidly disappearing and that the measure fav- ored by the chamber will be passed and approved by the government is easy to predict after the recent speech of the secretary of the treasury.
 The disastrous effects of such a meas ure are already being discounted in finan- cial circles. The original proposal, if I remember rightly. taxes bonds to bearer g per cent, and registered stock IT per cent. As France and Germany are much in the same boat, there will prob ably be a common agreement to force Switzerland into the family compact. Except at this high figure, therefore, French capital will be shut out of Eu- rope and will have tnfl to America.
 Some of the leading houses are already counting upon this change, and are de- veloping their American business There seems no reason why American municip- al stock, for instance, should not be as good as that of Paris; in the case of New York, at all events, pays per cent more.
 The income tax, applied as a political weapon, can be deadly In It's effects. and the timidity of the rich at the prospect of it Is justified. The socialists are quite frank about their intentions Upon the well-to-do will be thrust the fiscal burden, and the working classes will particularly escape all direct taxation. In a certain respect the socialist deputies Lt4 hao AAxv orA notoriously wealthy. One of their lead CTS in the house has chateau in Ger many; another belonging to the radical socialist wing. Is a stockbroker of ex- ceeding wealth, and a member of the present cabinet, who Is a socialist by profession, exposed his wifes jewels at the great exhibition ten years ago. So that poverty and principle do not neces- ssrily go hand in hand in this fair land of France.
 | An amazing instance of an attempt on | the part of the police to bribe a revoiu- tionary journalist has just been revealed. M. de Marmande a well.known anarchist on the staff of the Libertaire, received a | communication recently asking him whether he would join the Surete Gene rale-in other words, become spy in the | pay of the police.
 1 By appointment a man stating that his name was Miller, who said he had been sent by the ministry of the interior, called on M. de Marmande at the offices of the | Libertaire and offered him first $60 and finally s100 month if he would keep them | Informed of all that went on within the office.
 The anarchist Journalist had invited | several of his friends and placed them in
 an adjoining room to listen to the con | versation. When the man had made his offer M. de Marmande opened the door | and his friends entered
 The man Miller was then taken to the nearest police station. It is said that the ministry of the interior has denied the story.
 An interesting letter from a working | mason is published today in La Batrie | This document, which indicates that sanel
 views are beginning to spread among | French workinen is important inasmucf as 1t shows that they are at last becoming
 tired of being exploited by gang oi
 'muddlers and bullies." The writer, after
 recalling the varjaSS ways in whicr
 workmen in his trade are hampered il
 earning their living by the action of the
 trade unions, roundly declares that th' 1 sole object of the leaders of these organ
 izations Is to bring about train of cir cumstances which enables them to live II | luxury on the almost forced contribution. of honest and industrious yorkmen. H' gives an instance of the methods used t, compel men to go on strike: sfs | There were IA of us working. quit | contentedly, when a band of six fellow | came and directed us to strike. We hat to obey. What else could we do. w
 might, of course, have knocked off th'
 heads of the six with a few bricks, bu the next day 50 instead of six would hay, II come. and we should have been worse of II than ever. It is the fault of the govern II ment. which tolerates the continuance o
 state of things under which honest mel
 are prevented from carrying on thei trade and hunger and suffering ar
 brought to their families. We ourselve
 are also to blame, because our contrb1i tions maintain the gang of muddlegs ant