The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-09-25
WOULD MAKE VAN|T|ES
PAY TAXES TO STATE
French Would Exact Money
From Holders of All
NobiliticS.
REPUBLIC HAS RIGHT
Some Mobiles Have Bought
lnvestiture Rights,
All May Soon.
REPUBLIC HAS RIGHT

Paris. -tcerreSpondcncc OF the AS
sociated Press "a movement is on
foot in France to make the vanities OF
life pay a part OF the war debt. Ten
per cent on the purchase price Of
Injuries, proposed BY the budget COM
mittee OF the chamber of deputies and
approved by the government. doesn't
30 far enough to suit a good many.
Motor cars used for touring and sport
and horses used for pleasure driving
and racing ought. they think. to pay
an annual tribute to the treasury.
Gold ornaments, pearls precious stones
and rich ftlrs. and. generally. every
thin. worn that constitutes evidence
Of ease and luxury. ought to pay an
annual tax. they hold. since, the tax
payable at the time Of purchase would
not reach the billions at francs
worth of jewels and gold already in
private hands.
The reply 10 this proposition is that
an annual tax on such things would
amount to partial suppression: the
rejoindcr is that there will then. be
a gain anyway in the direction of
economy and the simple life.
Titles Will Be Taxed.
Among the Sanities aimed at are
titles Of nobility. which offer an cnor-
nous opportunity for revcnlc. \
moderate tax upon usnrped titles.
alone would bring in Il respectable
number OF millions, it is ella lined. Cen
nine titles. paying a far heavier tax.
would. though far less numerous.
bring in quite as much.
I'll" discussion Of this proposition
has been a revelation to many good
democrats who had overlooked the
fact that the feudal institution OF no
bility still exists under the Third Re-
public. and who were not aware that
the republic has actually made a little
money out of it and could have made
n lot more, and that President Poins
care. if he saw fit. could quite legally
make as many dukes. marquis counts.
barons and knights as there are vain
souls willing TO make it worth while
Some Mobiles Buy Titles.
Occasionally a real noble who wants
to make his title clear offers the
treasury the established accession Zee
tn" government accepts the money
ti.nidly, as if. in SO doing. it became
Il sort of an accomplish after the fact.
The Duke de la RouchefoucanId paid
the treasury an investiture fee OF
y, 100 francs about - years ago, I'M
der decree of the restoration fixing
inveStiture fees at !,.laD francs TOR n
duke, 2075 francs for a marquis or a
count. LAOS francs for 4 viscount l.o.,
francs for a baron and a. francs for
a knight.
There are thousands of persons that
NIT
ton de who have never decided in
their own minds whether they ought
to pass az dukes or nothing but
knights; the proposition looks well on
a visiting card and that is enough Tor
them.
Why shouldn't these people pay 10,
| the satisfaction OF their vanity, is the
| question that is asked.
Four attempts have been made &c
| abolish titles since the adoption of tn.
| present constitution. and as many Il
| tax them more heavily. one schcdul,
| OF annual title taxes proposed by Emile
! MorcauN. deputy from Lille. was
Prince. l0o,oo0 francs; prince with thu
additional title of his highness, 10000
| francs; duke, an.ao0 francs: duke Will
| the additional title of his highness
100000 francs. marquis, 10000 francs
| count. 10000 francs, visCount. 1000
| francs; baron. 1000 francs; knight
| 1000 francs; the use of the simpl'
| proposition before tn" name, 500 frame
| annually.
Towns Can Collect. Too.
\ proposed amendment provide,
that amy commune. hamlet, village q
town, the name OF which was takel
| to make a It'll. of nobility could eXac
| a tax on its own account. AnOthc
| went much farther and proposed tina
communcs and towns could offer thei
names to the highest bidder for til
purpose.
The present movement doesn't go =
tar. 1t simply asks that. II titles III
to be tolerated. the holder should pa
amply for the privilege, as do NOR
modest citizens. for other privileges