History of the Commune of 1871

by Lissagaray

The limits of this Appendix oblige me to make a résumé of the extremely interesting accounts by Faillet and Louis Debock on the direct taxes and the National Printing Office:—

"In the evening of the 24th March Faillet and Combault (of the International) presented themselves at the administration of the direct taxes. On the written declaration that he yielded to menaces, the director handed them over the keys. Citizen X., who was thoroughly acquainted with the administrative movement, placed himself very promptly at their disposal.

"The original register and other materials for the collection of taxes had disappeared. It was decided that the taxes should be gathered according to the list of 1869. The personnel of the forty collectorships, the valuers, the employés, to make up the list, had fled. The collectors were replaced by forty citizens, some workingmen belonging to the International, the others clerks of commercial houses or government offices. Some of the old officials who had not withdrawn were retained, but under the superintendence of a safe man. The presence of Citizen X. decided a great number of employés to come and work under the new directors.

"The service of the direct taxes was composed—for the interior, of a director, a general administrator, a general secretary, two sub-secretaries, one chief of the bureaux of taxes and lists, a head accountant, five other accountants, and two inspectors of the collecting offices; for the exterior, of forty tax-gatherers, each one assisted by two or three clerks, a bearer of summonses, and an agent with his accountants at the bonded warehouse for wine.

"Once or twice a week the director made a round in all the collector's offices, which the inspectors visited every day. Each tax-gatherer brought the cashier of the direction the receipts of the day before. The cashier every evening laid the returns before the administration, and made over to the Central Pay-Office of the Finance Department all that was not needed for the general expenses of the service.

"The service ceased on the Saturday evening, 25th May. A hundred clerks, not thinking their whole duty to the Commune done, formed a corps of scouts, whose post was established in the presbytery of the Temple des Billettes."

"On the 18th March, at five o'clock in the evening, Pindy and Louis Debock presented themselves with a battalion at the National Printing-Office, and established themselves there. The director Hauréau came down, tried to negotiate, and then went up again to his apartments. During the evening Debock went to ask him for the list of workmen. Hauréau took advantage of the occasion to protest his republicanism, said he was a former editor of the National, a friend of Marrast, Arago, &c., and that the movement of the 18th March had no raison d'être whatever. A few days were allowed him for removing.

"The whole personnel was maintained, with the exception of the director, the sub-director, the overseer, and the chief of the works, Félix Derenémesnil, who was cordially detested for his brutality and injustice. These spread abroad that the Central Committee had no money, and that the workmen would not be paid. Debock answered by an order of the day placarded in the workshops, guaranteeing the wages in the name of the Central Committee.

"At the end of March, on the injunction of Versailles, all the employés and heads of the services, with very few exceptions, abandoned the printing-office after having received their salaries. The new director took advantage of this to have the new foremen of the workshops appointed by the workmen themselves. The places of managers of the printing-press were put up for competition. As the administration of the Rue Pagevin threw obstacles into the way of placarding the decrees and proclamations, Debock advised the workmen bill-stickers to associate themselves. They did so; their wages increased by 25 per cent., and the printing-office saved 200 francs a day.

"The bulk of the salaries was greatly reduced; that of the lower clerks and workmen increased. On the 18th March a fortnight's salary was due to the workingmen and women, and a week's to the employés. The Commune discharged these arrears. Versailles, victorious, refused to pay the few days' wages due to the workmen. Yet the Versailles administration found the stock intact and in perfect order.