TAXPAYER’S WORRY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20298, 7 May 1934, Page 1

TAXPAYER’S WORRY.

How a Frenchman Paid With His Clothes. PARIS. April 2n. There is one really determined man in Paris. For some years he has been living on a small pension, and las spent this period in almost perpetual warfare with the local tax collector. The Frenchman is famous, or notorious, whichever way you like it, for his great aversion to paying taxes, but M. Martin, as we will call him, was really unable to pay anything towards the upkeep of the State from his pension. Threats from the tax collector were met with frank statements from M. Martin that he had nothing with which to pay. Eventually he received an imperative summons to attend the local taxation office. Tired of the constant bickering with the officials he determined to end the argument in a spectacular way. He dressed carefully, in his best Sunday clothes, carrying his best umbrella and wearing his best hat. Arriving at the office, he made a last plea that he was unable to pay his taxes. The officials were adamant; they said, in effect that if M. Martin did not pay he would have to go to gaol. M. Martin was exasperated. He became mildly angry, threw down his hat and umbrella, tore off his overcoat, his coat, his waistcoat and his trousers, threw them all at the somewhat amazed officials, and walked off home in his underclothes.

So far history does not relate whether his clothes have been accepted instead of payment.