Let us take here the statistics for the city of Milan to better grasp my meaning. The figures are official, and are taken from a report presented to the municipality some time ago, and prove there is a business side of vital importance attached to the proper working of the local subsidised theatre, La Scala. The following are the items of what they call _giro d'affari_, or, in paraphrase, of "the operatic turn-over," and all are official figures. The receipts of La Scala represent during the season the sum of 1,300,000 fr. (L52,000) Out of which a _personnel_ of 816, exclusive of principal artistes, receive salaries. There are in Milan eleven operatic agencies transacting every year an average of 300,000 francs' (L12,000) worth of business, or altogether 3,300,000 fr. (L132,000) There are nine theatrical newspapers with an average income of 15,000 francs (L600) each, or altogether 135,000 fr. (L5,400) Taking only the nineteen principal singing and ballet masters, and putting down their earnings at the modest sum of 6000 francs (L240) each, we get a total of 114,000 fr. (L4,560) The chief theatrical costumiers alone, four in number, return an average business of 80,000 francs (L3200) each, or 320,000 fr. (L12,800) Theatrical jewellers, property makers, hose manufacturers, armourers, scene-painters, may be put down for 250,000 fr. (L10,000) The theatrical and artistic population in Milan, year in, year out, averages 3000 persons, and may be divided into three classes of 1000 persons each, according to their expenditure. Say 1000 persons spending 4000 francs (L160) each, which makes 4,000,000 francs (L160,000); 1000 persons spending 1000 francs (L40,000); 1000 persons spending 800 francs (L32), which makes 800,000 francs (L32,000), a total of 5,800,000 fr. (L232,000) The pianoforte dealers let about 400 instruments every year at 12 francs a month 57,800 fr. (L2,312) Taking into account only eight of the opera companies (Monte Video, New York, Caracas, Santiago, Madrid, Buenos Ayres, Rio and Lisbon) engaged in Milan, and selected exclusively from Italian artistes, we get a total of 25,525,000 fr. (L1,021,000) Adding all these together, we get a grand total of 36,801,800 fr. (L1,472,072)