The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-02
KHAT 1T COSTS ENGLAND.
sore Facts Concerning the Income and Outeo
of her Money.

British Government seems singuarly well and |
economically conducted Judges are not gen
orally supposed to take brides. and ordinary
officials IRE very commonly faithful and honeet |
Tho Post Offlce Department. which in the
United States IL not sclf-supporing, here yields
good revenue About one-third of the gross
receipts ~ the British post offico are clear
profit. This n u good showing. and similar
cascs could I've pointed out But. in spite OF some
indications of economy, the machinery OF gov
eminent is tremendously expensive. and the
cost is uniformly and rapidly growing. Thirty
years ago the average annual expenditure did
not exceed $3.50 100000. Now the figure is
about 300 100000 and tho outlay for tho last
fiscal year exceeded even that figure by fully
s12000.0O0.
In the first two decades Of the century the
French war made the national expenditure
very high and in some years ii quite cquacd
the present outlay. After the close OF that war
il dropped to about $3.50 900 900. and thereafter
until the Crmehn war. II rarely exceeded that
figure. and WINS often much less. In 1855 II
sprang up to 1928 600 600. md in 1856 ii took
another bound to SAP OO0.0OO. Then IT sankio
1929. 600 in 1859. Since tho Crimean wnr
that is the lowest figure reached. About 1870
the average for some years was not lar from
1856. 900 600 Since that date tho regular yearly
expenditure has increased by tho sum of
$50 900. 600.
The United Stgtcs In 1876 with n population
close upon foriy-two millions. expended i2Gs.-
400 OOO: the United Kingdom. for the year
ended March 81 nst.with n population of thirty
three millions expended s4l2O0O.OU0. In the
former case the expenditure Is not more than
SO. ~ per head of the entire population; in tho
latter case it is about tl2.3O. when tho exact
amounts are used Americans may. at all
events congratulate themselves that their ma
tional burden Is not 50 heavy rs that Of the Eng
sh
Considering the universal trade depression that
prevails throughout Great Britain the national
expense ought to he less than in other years
and the estimates for the future surely ought
not to be- increased. There Is really large in
crease. however. oven II the war vote Of the
present session be not considered 1T all. The
Chancellor of tho EAchcqucr has "A curious dis
tustc for actual amounts. and avoids naming
the real expenditure altogether. He announced
that the total expenditure Of the pas, year was
| s3Qi5i7 i7j md tnlkcd about II Us though no
! other items were 10 h" mentioned Presently.
| however. he comes to whit he calls " eNtrn"r-
| dinnry cNpenditure, ana mere II ~ iuund Uhi
tlI'WWlo o. tnN lutr oi trrlU mas hlS,l i"'l
| expended This he carefully keeps distinct
| from the other amount much ~ II some foreign
| power had kindly consented To pay that part oi
| troubled with " at all He meyer thought to add
| the two amounts and mention thai the whole
| WIS slI2.Oi7i7j. In his estimates for the com
| ie yrnr he also has supplementary Csti-
| mntes which also he keeps separate from an
| other amount. which he persists III calling IN
Ministers md the financial press are usually
| prone 10 consider nm increase in the revenue ~
| being matter for general cOngraiulaiiun Ihr>
! seem tq ihlnk II an eNldeh'" oi lhcI.hH" li'
| national wealth. II really proves only that tn"
| Britons are using more tea tobacco, spirits.
wine. aud beer than in former years. The rev
| enuc ~ the country certainly does increase.
| from year 10 wear, very considerably; hut lgi H.
look at the sources oil increase. from loho l"
| 1917 the revenue Increased 10y the amount oi
s5O.SOo0oo In the year, Just closed III
| revenue from customs and excise amount
"a To 1927 5000 or considerably NOR
| than half the entire amount. or The
| amount derived FROM customs. over three
| fouiths comes from duties on imported vino.
| spirits and tobacco. From 1855 To 1877 tue
| revenue from imported spirits increased h)
| tobacco. twenty per cent. and from vino. over
| ten per cent OF the excise duties. nearly the
and ii sugar used in hrnwing. From isGs 10 1877
| the excise duty ON home made spirits Increased
e nyatH ana ana %nile tho income from iiccnses t.
| sell Intoxicating drinks grew smaller rather
| and not 70 the issuing OF any ess num-
nrr q LICENSES; Ihe incre'sed Income .,,l,,
| was alone equal TO the entire increase men
| toned. In some other sources Of income. how
| ever. there was an actual falling on. anu IN
few cases the duties On certain articles were IN
| tirely repealed. The increase may be- said To- BE-
| almost entirely due 20 an increased use Of
| strong drink and tobacco. OF the entire revenue
| no less than tl70,OOO,OOO comes from the trade
| The items OF revenue for the past yoar are
these: Customs. 500 SIS 900: excise. sl31.320.-
| 900: STAMPS asa 100 900; land tax uni house
| duty sl3 S50OOO: income tax s29lOOOu0; Post
900; Crown lands. q $50 900; interest Oh ad-
I vHncos for local works and on purchase money
| for Sue2 canal shares. a .7iglB5; and miscrl-
| lanoous. S2O.322.U75. On the side ot cNprnti-
| ture are these items Interest and manaH"-
| items usually added 70 inns account MAKE "
sl5O.2! .675: army. saO.559311; navy s3i.s'2'-
$50; Hrycnue ,seb,n5rirrgh' s5' '3,D; M
| Ne given here. "A surplus Of some - uphn II
shown. The extraordinary expenditure. a.
| the Chancellor calls il. Is. however. moi Included
| in .luding nat amount Of sl7. 5DO.OoD. the ro-
suit stands thus: Actual revenue. s39s SIG ,49O :.
actual expenditure sIl2OlI4'o; dehcit Tor
The estimates for the present year also show
a deficit, which must be met 10y Increased tax
| alton. Two pence on the pound added 70 ~"
| INCOME tax. will realize an additional sljnO0
900; an increase Oi four pence per pound 70 INC
| present duty on tobacco Will yield $3T5oMOO
more: and All Increase 81 the dog ilA from nv
| shiings to seven Shilllngs ana -iAlrnce per
head will produce another s5m 900 These NJ
| ditional sums are stu hot enough To meet me
| deficits ri the two years ana the balance must
bee added TO the burden ol the following year.
! From customs the Chancellor "Npects - r"nlH"
less in the present year than in the lhrt. In an
| ticipatlon 81 an Increase in the duty on spirli-
ana tobacco. the duty on large guapiii"s Of
| during the week before the appearance of the
budget. ON the Attn OF April the customs re-
ceipts at that port were more than three times
as great IA on the first day Of the month, From
excise more is expected than ~ the pre-
Vious year. The hope is a reasonably sale one.
| II seems to be almost Il moral certainty that
John Bull will regularly drink a little more gin
| and beer each e than he did the year before.
There are mar uncertainties III finance, but
when il comes 10 excise. the British statesman
at once real!ze that he is treading on certain
ground. Hence the Chancellor confidently says
| he looks for an Increase from this source; and
when he says that the excise duties Of tho year
closed show an Increase over those OF the pre-.
Nious year no one Is any way surprised, ana
his fellow statesmen say, Hear. hear" very
heartily That which he ps pay the nation =
burdens cannot be bad thing. they seem To
think.
The land Of Great Britain pays only small
share Of the entire taxation. II is assessed ON
valuation made in 1862. and the whole rrve-
nue from this source is little more than
s5 900 900, or u little moro than one-eighileth
part Of the whole. Local rates do not affect
land in England and this Is the sole land tax.
ii Justly taxed. it should pay nearly one-hali
the entire amount. Further. from yeaT To year,
the land bears less OF the national burden than
before for the amount Of this tax varies little or
none whilet the expenditure increases fearfully
| A few Of the mOnstrOsities OF Government ak
penditure In this country are worth mention
as serving to show where the money goes and
how the outlay happens to he 80 large. Inc