The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1864-11-26
How they are Taxed In England

Our taxes must be heavy, doubtless, for a
long time TO come, if measured by our own past
experience but as compared with the burdens
which other nations have borne, and are bearing,
they will be moderate to say the least. We
recall our own experience In England not many
years back and the recollection alleviates very
materially any apprehenslons we might ether
wise have in view of our present prospects.
Our library was n pleasant room in an ample
and substantial brick house, looking out upon q
beautiful fruit and flower garden in the rear
and the said library had just one window, because
the light Of the Gun was such an expensive article
IN England that at that time even rich men were
prudent in its consumption Seven Is the perfect
number, and the father of a household might
have seven windows of a moderate and prescribed
size, without paying for the light that came
through them, but for every additional window
or opening with or without glass, through which
heavens sweet light was admitted to sitting-room,
chamber, Office or cellar, there must be paid to
the government Of our Sovereign Lady," a sum
equal to two dollars and a half. This supreme
" absurd and barbarous law had the effect
greatly TO mar the beauty and comfort of English
dwellings, and to kill annually q multitude of
scrofulous children We do not remember the
number of windows in the house of which we
have spoken, but the sum total We paid for sun
light must have been at least twenty-five dollars
g. year, and that be 1t membe for light infe-
riOr in quality and in only moderate quantity.
We recollect one day seeing a strange man sur
veyiDg our premises in a curious way. Presently
he rung at the bell, introduced himself as a new
inspector for the district, and said we were liable
for one window more than we were paying for.
We asked him where 1T was, and lie pointed 10
an opening into the coal cellar. about two square
feet in size, and thereafter we paid for il the
anne IS for a full sized window in our library.
This was the new inspectors way Of commend
ing himself to those to whom he was indebted
for his office, and possibly TO secure promotion.
Ii is gratifying To the humane and benevolent
feelings TO know that this odious and cruel tax
was repealed some twelve years ago and O house
tax substituted for it, proportioned TO rental.
1t you use 4 ring, seal, or any other article
having on IL your crest . or other armorial de-
vice. you will pay a tax of three dollars and a
quarter therefor, provided you are an individual
OF no more than ordinary consequence but if
you drive a pair of horses and have four wheels
to your carriage, then your crest rises surpris-
ingly, and you pay thirteen dollars q year for
that important indication of responsibility. We
think our income tax, with the addition, a serious
impost but let us see how this matter is arranged
in England. A man with a salary or total in
come exceeding $500 and not exceeding $3.50, is
taxed on the whole amount, at the rate Of 50 40
per 800, equal to SlS on an income of $3.50;
on all incomes exceeding $3.50 the tax is at the
rate of So 90 per 800 on the entire amount,
equal 10 1886 on n total income Of $1,000.
But the direct taxes paid by Englishmen are
small when compared with what they pay in the
shape OF customs and excise. Bricks are excised,
and malt is excised, and every home produced
article that can be, and the consumer pays it in
the advanced prices. Livery drive which you
take with horse and carriage from the livery
stable is excised, and the proprietor pays it out
of the amount charged to you. The consumers
of tobacco pay an enormous aggregate tax to
government, the average duty being a dollar a
pound, and the better qualities being raised
much higher. We remember to have paid a
dollar and a half & pound for the best black teas,
one third of the amount being duty or if we
used what was sold for a dollar We still paid
half q dollar to government for every pound con-
sumed. Coffee was half a crown, or sixty-two
cents a pound, and other luxuries in proportion.
All this was in a time of profound peace, with
no arrangement of the currency, and no unusual
imitation of prices by speculation. Yet we sell
dom heard an Englishlnan complain of taxes.
A much more common remark that bis was the
best country and the best government in the
world and well worth paying for.-BOston Re
Jle1c.