254 



FRANCE. 



census of March 24, 1901, compared with the pop- 

 ulation on March 29, 1896, are shown in the 

 following table: 



The French soldiers in China and French sailors 

 abroad being added to the population present in 

 France raises the total to 38,641,333, which shows 

 an increase of 412,364 since 1896. Although the 

 death-rate is generally low in France, the increase 

 in population is slower than in neighboring coun- 

 tries. This is because of the exceedingly low birth- 

 rate. The number of births per marriage de- 

 clined in ten years from 3 in 1881 to 2.1 in 1891, 

 and has not since increased. 



The legal population of France in 1901 was 38,- 

 961,945, compared with 38,517,332 in 1896. The 

 increase was 441,613, compared with 175,027 in 

 the previous five years. The number of foreigners- 

 residing in France in 1901 was 1,037,778, com- 

 pared with 1,027,491 in 1896. The number of mar- 

 riages in 1900 was 299,084; of births, 827,297 ; of 

 deaths, 853,285 ; excess of deaths, 25,988. It was 

 the fifth year in which there was an excess of 

 deaths, births having declined and deaths in- 

 creased since the previous year, in which births 

 exceeded deaths by 31,394. The number of 

 divorces in 1900 was 7,157, making a total of 

 94,426 since divorce was made legal in 1884. The 

 annual rate of increase in the population has 

 declined in seventy-five years from 61.4 per thou- 

 sand to less than 21.4, although the death-rate 

 has been lowered from 25.3 to 21.1 per thousand. 



Finances. The estimates adopted for 1901 

 make the revenue 3,554,602,862 francs, of which 

 483,069,335 francs are direct contributions, 39,- 

 527,279 francs taxes assimilated to direct contri- 

 butions, 553,244,978 francs from registration, 173,- 

 563,400 francs from stamps, 6,883,500 francs from 

 the tax on bourse operations, 74,707,666 francs 

 the tax on income from personal property, 438,- 

 374,800 francs from customs, 649,022,550 francs 

 indirect contributions, 199,800,000 francs from the 

 sugar tax, 413,261,000 francs from the tobacco 

 monopoly, 43,200,000 francs from matches and 

 gunpowder, 255,278,400 francs from the post-office, 

 telegraphs, and telephones, 17,261,930 francs from 

 railroads, mint, etc., 55,485,300 francs from 

 domains and forests, 71,893,808 francs from vari- 

 ous sources, 77,829,108 francs recettes d'ordrc, and 

 2,199,808 francs revenue collected in Algeria. The 

 total from direct contributions and taxes as- 

 similated to direct contributions was 522,596,614 

 francs; from indirect taxes, 2,095,596,894 francs; 

 from monopolies, 729,001,330 francs. The total 

 authorized expenditure for 1901 was 3,554,354,212 

 francs, of which 1,245,644,464 francs were for the 

 public debt ; 13,287,100 francs for the President, 

 the Chamber, and the Senate, 19,593,880 francs for 

 general service, 209,409.966 francs for collection of 

 taxes and rtgie, 32,313,000 francs for repayments, 

 35,253,133 francs for justice, 16,382,710 francs for 

 foreign affairs, 79,092,225 francs for the interior, 

 42,922,553 francs for worship, 632,400,171 francs for 

 French troops, 60,708,150 francs for extraordinary 

 military expenses, 327,692,530 francs for the navy, 

 206,966*483 francs for public instruction, 14,901,- 

 240 francs for fine arts, 36,663,891 francs for com- 

 merce and industry, 2,432,989 francs for the 

 general service of posts and telegraphs, 196.977,439 

 francs for working' expenses of posts and tele- 

 graphs, 6,467,000 francs for repayments in the 

 postal and telegraph service, 111,866,511 francs for 

 the colonies, 44,797,262 francs for agriculture, and 

 218,581,515 francs for public works. The budget 

 for 1902 made the total general revenue 3..~><i7.1<i4.- 

 082 francs and the expenditure 3.597,072,199 

 francs. An amended estimate made the revenue 

 3,604,561.268 francs and the expenditure 3,604,- 

 415,197 francs. The revenue from direct taxation 

 was estimated at 533.500,000 francs; from regis- 

 tration, 577,799,000 francs; from stamps, 171,246,- 



