Evening star., 1926-04-01

The BRAND cabinet OF France is
facing another crisis. and today's or
tomorrow $ news may bring word that
II has again fallen. through opposition
To the program OF taxation.
There are prophets of evil pre-
dieting French dictatorship. a
French Mussolini or a French Soviet
revolution. Other reports portray the
French peasant as refusing 10 pay
taxes Or make patriotic sacrifices TO
serve his country, and suddenly ceas'
ing to exercise personal thrift-the
traditional characteristic Of the
peasant-but indulging in extravagant
purchases of modern improvements
and Injuries for his cottage. and
automobiles for his jOyrides.
~
An Official OF the United States
Government who has spent the last
seven or eight years in France. and
has recently returned to Washington.
laughs at the propaganda which is
now picturing the French peasant as
a spendthrift indulging In luxuries
while refusing to pay legitimate taxes.
1t has been part of the duties of this
official, while IN France. to study the
economic conditions there. He denies
the entire story that French peasant
homes are lighted with electricity and
that peasants have bought auto
mobiles. except few small motor
trucks for economic use in their farm
ing on gardening operations.
In the United States there are GER
tain nuisance" taxes which cost more
to collect than their revenue. In
France there are many small farmers
exempt from taxation for two main
reasonable disproporttOnate cost OF
collecting small taxes and, particular
ly. the government recognition of the
great need Of encouraging and helping
agricultural production. Farming In
France is typically small farming
10 or 20 acres per peasant.
X X 4
During the World War every
F'renchman OF active age was in the
army. and his pay was equivalent to
about 2 or cents day-nominally
25 centimes. All farm production dur
ing the war was accomplished by old
men and by women working In the
fields: therefore. agriculture could not
produce a surplus. After the war the
survivors returned to their peasant
homes and took up the work. In a
quarter of the country the FIELDS had
been devastated and homes ruined.
Ihe most outstanding Heeu Ot lne
country was to rehabilitate farms.
Just as in America. there were farm
loan facilities, under Federal control.
Loans TO farmers were arranged. with
25.year amortization. at per cent In
terest bat when the beneficiary WAS
a pensiOned military man. or civil
ian victim Of the war, the int crest was
per cent, less half Of l per cent for
each legitimate child born after the
war" A former soldier who has two
children born after the war pays no
interest on his loan, il he operates the
land. nor is 1t the policy Of the state
to tax such a farmer for he is still
serving the country by producing food
which otherwise must be imported.
There are also government facili-
ties for short-time loans to encourage
farming. Aid il given, without secu-
rity other than personal good faith, for
the purchase of land by ex-soldiers,
provided the borrower guarantees to
work the land personally or with the
aid of his family.
The American official points to the
distress of even American farmers in
recent years, and contrasts their com
plants with the assumption that
French peasants operating their small
holdings are able to sport modern lux
uries. as has been represented.