1132 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



generals and civil servants. But their 

 best qualities only develop when they are 

 out of their own country. In Albania 

 they are always more or less savages. 



Among the Catholic Albanians of the 

 north, both Austria and Italy have done 

 something in the way of education ; the 

 Franciscans and the Jesuits have opened 

 schools in various towns, and the Italian 

 government maintains colleges at Scu- 

 tari and elsewhere. For the Orthodox 

 Albanians the Greek Syllogos has estab- 

 lished some schools. But for the Mo- 

 hammedans nothing has been done. The 

 Turkish government will not allow them 

 to be taught in the Albanian language, 

 and, indeed, refuses to recognize its ex- 

 istence, although most of them speak no 

 other. 



the: jews OE MACEDONIA 



At Salonica, and in a few other towns 

 of Macedonia, there are large Jewish 

 settlements. Like nearly all the Jews of 



Turkey, they are descended from those 

 driven out of Spain by Ferdinand and 

 Isabella, and they speak a Spanish dialect 

 to this day, but they usually know many 

 other languages as well. At Salonica 

 they form the majority of the population. 

 Their favorite occupations are, of course, 

 banking and trade, but the poorer Jews 

 are boatmen, porters, servants, small 

 shop-keepers, and in one or two districts 

 even peasants. 



They are the one subject race whom 

 the Turk has never persecuted, and they 

 are in consequence loyal subjects of his 

 Imperial Majesty. They thoroughly 

 know how to make a "good thing" out 

 of the Turkish government, and in ex- 

 change for being left alone, they are its 

 chief financial support. They are in- 

 dustrious, honest, and intelligent. A 

 great many of them are the subjects or 

 the proteges of the different foreign 

 powers. 



GRASS NEVER GROWS WHERE THE TURKISH 

 HOOF HAS TROD"* 



By Edwin Pears 



Author of "The Destruction of thk Greek Empire," 



Constantinople ' ' 



The Fai^l of 



A S THE abuses in the collection of 

 /\ taxes have done more, perhaps, 

 i^m than anything else to make the 

 peasants of Macedonia discontented with 

 their lot, by reducing them to the verge 

 of starvation and to drive them into re- 

 volt, it is desirable to show at some 

 length what these abuses are. The 

 heaviest tax which has to be paid is tithe 

 or dime. Its assessment and collection 

 form a good illustration of the difference 

 between the theory of Turkish law and 

 its administration. 



The law provides that the collection of 

 tithe for the government shall be put up 

 to auction or to public tender — that is, 

 that bids shall be invited from private 

 persons for the payment of a lump sum 

 to the government for the right to col- 

 lect one-tenth of the forthcoming har- 



* From "The Balkan Question," edited by 



vest and other agricultural produce, such 

 as the increase of sheep, cattle, and goats 

 in a specified village or district. The 

 surplus over and above the accepted 

 ofi^er will be the legitimate profit of the 

 tax farmer. The bid is often highly 

 speculative, and the successful bidder 

 has to take his chance of bad weather, 

 deficient crops, and a mistaken estimate. 

 The government requires that the pay- 

 ment of the accepted tender, if any be 

 accepted, shall be guaranteed by an ap- 

 proved third person. Its rights are thus 

 secured. 



The person whose tender has been ac- 

 cepted then arranges with the local au- 

 thorities to make a valuation of each 

 peasant's next harvest. For this pur- 

 pose he, together with the peasant and 

 one or more of the local authorities, 



lyuigi Villari. John Murray, London. 



