The Sun.
London, England, 1826-09-15 00:00:00

NEWSPAPER DUTIES

The Fourteenth Report of the Commissioners for Inquir-
ing into the Collection of the Revenue, conniins, we oh..
serve, a recommendation, which; With a view of equalizing
the Duties on Newspaper Advertisements, would increase
them, to the ruin alike both of, the trade and the. revenue.
It is notorious, and We, believe generally admitted, that
newspapers are already burdened with inordinate duties,
which are .seriously injurious to the trade, as well as to the
revenue. Now, the present proposition of a progreisive
duty on advertisements, beginning with 2s. on the
and ending at 10s. on twenty lines, would be a Most emir-
bitant addition to the present tax. It will lie easy to prove
this beyond nil doubt. The present duty on all advertise-
ments is as. 6d., and by the proposed scheme this duty is
to commence at aix linem,so that it ia only on advertisements
of fivelines that any reduction of duty is to take place.—
84 newspapers, with the exception of one or two of the
London journals, contain scarcely any advertisements of
tire lines. For one such advertisement there are a Min=
dyed larger ones. The low duty, 'therefore, is really
; there would he, in fact, no diminution of duty, but
an inordinate addition—such an addition as would prove
ruinous to the interests of all concerned. Above ten lines
it is proposed to levy an additional duty of Is, Gd.; above
flfteen.lines au additional duty of 45.; and above twenty
lines'an additional duty
' of.6s. (id.
As we have already show!), there would he no diminu-
tion of duty,.but a rise at three different stages, equal to
40 per cent., 112 per cent., and nearly'. 200 per vent. on
the preaent ditties. Putting the whole additional duties
together, they would amount, on an average, to an ad-
ditional one hundred and fifty per cent, on the existing
heavy .tax. The scheme of the Commissioners, then, ;
simply, this, that the present duties on newspaper advertise-
ments should be more than doubled—a proposition so
ruinousandextravaglint, that it is wonderful how it could
be for one moment entertained by; 111011 in the least 'degree
Conversant either in finance or in public business. News-
paperS are alreedy overburdened with taxes, to the injury
both of the trade and the revi-nue. The last addition to
the newspaper and advertisement mintier:, as we showed
from the Parliamentary accounts, was not productive, The
.Treasury drew no more duty from the high than they
ffisocrnt:e.,:liedhi dthferovniitrititemleontivardyuct ieosn;l:iliisisdkiniliertsliti4fililete
to t)fhtahyies
known, and in a time too of profound peace, when the
Country is expecting relief from taxation, to come
forward with a proposition for heaping on an'already over-
burdened emiumaliry 140 per cent. of additional iinty,
,is
such a stretch of absurdity that we really cannot amount
for it. The.,Commissioners say, that, the charge on the
lower class of advertisements would be'amply rompensated
by the increase of their number; and•thiwthe addition:to
the higher classes ‘votild materially ,mgmeut the aggregat,
receipts, without being buyileio,aue to the contributors."
Now, the Commissioners, it will be here observed, hold
out the reduction of duty to he such a relief that ittiill
increase the number of advertisements ;; but the edditional
duty; they say, will be no bitrden. To pay 2s. in place
d. will be 3, it seems, a'rehet, and will irrrrc'tts~ the
of advertisements; but to pay lOs. instead of 3s.tid.
"w—
It vats it
has
ph;:seend site6ft n-ctf '
s willf
numberm3l6lb.ebti
posed 1,
TORN.), We need Hot wonder that
hteltielyr arrive at rather
:Ex'lloa advertisements;
stariling conclusions.: The truth is, that the scheme of
ono, after a-
la(
progmssive duty is?htiteinoiludt
ro-
and
don with they newspaper proprietors, it was ab 41"114(11 71'
:CI tenncic:ei
)o, aof4ft hai3efdt
was tried in Ireland, and after a short ant
°ll°
trial was Oven
• lt • kd.
Eit; nnpot . . 11) ',aeration were pr
opposed in these 4A-
ties it ought clearly to be a reduction. Th-
itt vertooM
;tax iS a most inconvenient and heavy bitrden ou-simmers';