Part 27 (2/2)

--Well, upon enious I pay the Treasury a hundred francs; you relieve e; and in order that the Treasury may nevertheless receive one hundred francs, you relieve me of ten on some other tax?

--Precisely; you understand me

--How can it be true? I am not even sure that I have heard you

--I repeat that I balance one reive, and I should like to hear you expound this paradox

--Here is the whole mystery: I know a tax which costs you twenty francs, not a sou of which gets to the Treasury I relieve you of half of it, and make the other half take its proper destination

--You are an unequaled financier There is but one difficulty What tax, if you please, do I pay, which does not go to the Treasury?

--How much does this suit of clothes cost you?

--A hundred francs

--How otten the cloth frohty francs

--Then why did you not get it there?

--Because it is prohibited

--Why?

--So that the suit hty

--This denial, then, costs you twenty francs?

--Undoubtedly

--And where do these twenty francs go?

--Where do they go? To the ive me ten francs for the Treasury, and I will reain ten francs

--Oh, I begin to see The treasury account shows that it loses five francs on postage and five on salt, and gains ten on cloth That is even

--Your account is--you gain five francs on salt, five on postage, and ten on cloth

--Total, twenty francs This is satisfactory enough But what becoht of him I have secured compensation for him by means of the tax reductions which are so profitable to the Treasury

What I have done for you as regards cloth, I do for hiard to wool, coal, machinery, etc, so that he can lower his price without loss

--But are you sure that will be an equivalent?