Evening star., 1926-04-01
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

II is noted that farm products re-
tail in Lyon at lower prices than
they do in Washington, and ouIy
coffee. which is imported sells at
equivalent price. These quotations
are reduced 10 American money by
the consul, SO az to be more readily
compfehended in America. Wine,
which sells in the retail city market
at cents a quart, is produced by
the peasants, who receive for 1t less
| than 3 cents quart. Cider, except
in special apple regions, costs more
than wine. These market prices on
the products of the farms, says the
expert. illustrate the absurdity Of the
/ reports that peasants are extrava
CANT or are complaining Of being
forced to use cider instead of wine"
An ana lysis OF the economic situ-
alton I'm France appeared in the last
quarter of 1925. published In the
monthly Revue Poltique ct Parlia-
mentaire. 1t contains this para
raph:
Although there are about 5000 ,00O
farmers opera ting their own farms
only about 100000 are listed as tax
payers. their total income on which
they are taxed being 400, 600 200
francs. The average individual in
come OF the 100000 farmers who
escape taxation may be estimate at
1000 francs, total of $4,000, 600 600
francs on which no taxes are paid.
THE present basis for estima ting
farmers incomes is too low The
taxed income of 400, ,000, 900 should
he trlpled, giving in round figures
4.000 100000 francs. The total in
come from agricultural pursuits is,
therefore, about $4,000 ,000.0 goo francs"
Since the pea SAINT who thus es
ca pes taxation has an income not
exceeding 1000 francs for his years
labor and that of his family in pro-
ducing food for French markets. 1t
Is noteworthy that that is equivalent
TO $40 in American money!. franc
being worth an cents. Out of that
$40 year. after buying clothing
and other "mxuries," how much can
he spend for automobiles and modern
improvements. having evaded taxes? d?
The Revue further explains what
the small farmers are doing with their
money-$140 a year-for. speaking
of land ownership, 1t SAYS:
The splitting up Of such lands
seems to have increased during the
last ten years, because of the profits
made by farmers since the war. In
practically every part of France.
numbers Of farmers who formerly
+ paid rentals or cultivated for others
now own their own farms
The Revue further indicates a
comparison OF tax exemption in
Great Britain and France, showing
revenues exempt in Great Britain
amounting to 85.S per cent Of the
whole, and In France Sl.2.
The conclusion OF the American Of
| fetal quoted above Is that the French
peasant has been misjudged in the
assumption that he is unlawfnlly
evading taxes and SO refusing to sup
port his government, but that 1t is
the policy of France to stimulate home
production OF food and to assist the
small farmers to that end. This CON
clusiOn does not undertake to question
whether that policy is wise or unwise.
| 1t is further confirmed by the
| Revue's citing the tendency OF the
| peasants to become landowners. Tor
| they have found that money hidden
! in stockings no longer represents
stable wealth. when even gold money
| does not retain fixed exchangeablhty.
| lit ceases to be money" but must be
| exchanged at banks for paper at the
| face value of the deprecated paper
money--gold cannot be saved ana
used in making purchases.
| Contradicting the recent canards as
to governmental fear OF arousing
peasant rebellion, peasant ownership
| of land ia stabilizing patriotic support
Of government against any inroads
Of sovietism or socialism and is re
awakening the old faith that the
peasant Is the backbone Of France.
| tcepyrirht, 1895, BY fsui '. ceiHns.'