White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-09
Condensation and Comments by &. 4
FOREMAN.

We citizens of this country are
very prone to grumble al the pay
ment of taxes; at Uncle San concern
ing the income tax. the luxury tax,
the railroad passenger and freight
tax and various other similar taxes.
against the state officials on the state
tax. and against the county and mu-
nieipal officials on our local taxes.
But consider the poor Frenchman
Ii VT should be taxed as yariously.
or even o~ne-dudrter as heavily. as the
burdens which he bears We would not
only grumble but would actually
howl in anguish while the process of
extraction was going on
The Frenehman sits down in the
morning TO a simple breakfast of but
tered rolls washed down with a cup
of coffee.
This modest repast has already
forced him. indirectly. to pay a trib-
ute TO the city of Paris in the nature
of duty. as 3 cents must be paid to
the Paris customs officials on each
pound of butter that enters the city
from the surrounding country dis
fricts The salt which went into the
butter is taxed | cent a pound. and
likewise the sugar in his coffee pays
into the state treasury ? cents a
pound. Although this may seem a
paltry sum. yet in the month of July
OF this yea the French government
collected 29.326.0 900 francs tabout
81 .60o.e00 al normal exchange) in
taxes IN these two commodities alone.
! Our Frenchman, having finished
breakfast. opens his morning mail,
l n-hara no fu uln.oEf oartnsn - 6nl
bills feyen Is you and Il from his
butcher. grocer. baker. light COM
pany and other dealers. Upon each
Hill there will be a stamp for which
he has to pay IL :he bill is for less
than 800 francs "a franc is now worth
about Z cents in United States
money! ii carries a scent stamp; if
more than $50 francs the tax is 10
cents, and 81 cents for over 1000
francs. This tax alone netted the
French government 100000 in
July.
Having read his mail he concludes
10 visit his bank: he halls n taxi. for
which he pays The chauffeur n reason
able charge. the price OF the ride
comprising not only the amount reg
istered by the taximeter and a small
tip 10 the chauffeur. but also a tax
to the state on The gasoline con-
cumed. for each quart of gas is
taxed and nets the public treasury
about 25.0oO.e0 a year.
At the bank he deposits some
money. obtaining n deposit slip or re-
ceipt therefor: on this also he pays
a stamp tax, which may amount to
.. 10 or 90 cents. according TO the
amount deposited.
After making his deposit he finds
thaat he forgot to hold out a bit of
spare change for his daily expenses.
so he draws a check for what he
needs. on this he pays a tax of .
cents
Having noticed an advertisement of
some very choice bonds for sale he
places an order with his bank to pur-
chase a small lot. IN this transaction
he pays a tax of 6 cents per bond.
On the other hand. he may wish to
! collect the interest coupons on some
of his bonds: this ought not to be a
very painful operation, ordinarily.
but h torture is really excruciating,
as the tax is often rs high as 20 per
cent, so that on a coupon having a
value OF IS the owner actually re-
ceiyes less than 81 after the tax Is
deducted. Imagine a Wall street I'm
ancier Town in the vault clipping cou-
pons. with Uncle Sam standing over
him and grabbing M coupon out OF
every five In July of this year the
tax on personal securities netted the
French government almost $4,000
900.
Having completed his morning
business comprising mostly the pay
ment of taxes) the Frenchman poes
home for lunch. No matter what he
may have on the bill OF fare, ne pays
his bit into the Paris city treasury.
The tax is levied as follows:
On twenty pounds Of
| Mnaf RI