140 FRANCE - MISCELLANEOUS 



it for their object to fix the present net yield of unbuilt on landed 

 properties. 



In each commune, valuation shall be made of the separate farms, in. 

 accordance with a scale based on the nature of the crops and the hold- 

 ings or based on authentic deeds of lease or verbal contracts of lease duly 

 registered. 



The results of these operations shall be communicated to those con- 

 cerned, who shall be allowed a period of two months in which to make ob- 

 jections (i). 



Notice shall be given every year, in a report distributed to the 

 Chambers and published in the Journal officiel, of the work carried out 

 and the methods followed. " 



This text was further completed by article 2 of the law of December 

 26th., igo8 providing that " in the course of the operations prescribed by 

 article 3 of the law of December 31st., 1907, no valuation shall be made 

 of ground built on, nor of that forming an immediate and indispensable 

 adjunct to buildings. " 



It is in terms of these provisions that the operations of which we are 

 now about to speak were carried out. 



§ 2. Administrative procedure. 



In accordance with article 3 of the law of December 31st., 1907, the 

 object of the new valuation is "to determine the present net revenue of 

 unbuilt on landed properties. " 



The law does not define the " net revenue " that has to be discovered, 

 but the debates preceding the vote on the law clearl}'^ show that by this 

 expression is to be understood the rental value of the land, that is to say the 

 rent the landholder derives from his real estate when he lets it, or, in case 

 he works the land himself, what he might derive were he to let it. This 

 value differs much from the net yield of the soil, which includes not only 

 the rent of the land, but also the agricultural profits constituting the gain 

 of the farmer working the land. 



Under these conditions, the task first of all incumbent on the financial 

 department was to discover the most appropriate methods for ascertain- 

 ing as rapidly as possible, the precise rental value of unbuilt on land. 



I. — Temporary Instructions. — The general Department of Direct 

 Taxation immediately set to work and prepared a scheme for the organ- 



(i) This paragraph was modified bj' article 2 of the law of April 8th., 1910, thus conceived : 

 The results of the valuations shall be communicated to those concerned, who may, within 

 the term of one month, ask for documents to be communicated to them showing the details 

 of the work of valuation per farm and demand copies of the said documents. The parties 

 concerned shall be allowed a term of two months from date of the communication of the 

 documents, in which to make their objections in writing. 



