Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1894-08-30
BRITISH AND AMERICAN IN
COMES.
Wealthy Men Not Nearly So Numerous
in the old Country rs Here.

Ii the evidence Of the British govern
mcut returns showing the number OF
persons assessed for the income tax Is
trustworthy the number of very rich
people in tue United Kingdom Is small,
Oaly 100000 subjects of the queen con-
TESS TO an annual income OF over $1,000
II year derived from trades or profes
Sions. The whole number OF them who
live ON the scale represented by tam-
lily income above the $1,000 mark, de-
rived from any source, is SGT down at
about S,O0O,OQN or one In nineteen OF
the total population, In othCr words,
says the baltimore sun, not more than
! per cent, OF the Inhabitants of Eng
land, Wales, Scotland and Ireland are
living in the moderately well.to.do
state Implied by family income OF
SO per week. Going ur IN the scale
OF incomes we learn from these official
returns that l@S,oOO British Families,
aggregatiuE Wa,0oo persons, are all
who are in receipt OF Incomes of $1,000
Il year and over. Commenting on these
figures the Westminster Gazette says
or the limits OF wealth aud income in
the realm Of Victoria: The possession
OF what Is ordil arily termed \ modest
mComN, of anything, in fact, above
tlaO tor $IauO Is rare stroke OF fort
uuc, which comes to very few in this
world while tho chance OF becoming
n Crocsus is so wildly remote that Il
will hardly enter into the calculations
OF II reasonable man" 1t appears that
about 5000 persons only in the whole
United Kingdom have incomes Of over
$4,000 year. General Booth some
time since took servant-gtrl census
OF London and found that only M
GOO houses In that city hired any
servants at all, and that In one half
OF that number there WAS only one
maid.orall.wor employed. And this
I IN the richest city OF the country, cou-
mining onc-ninth OF It's entire popula'
! ton.
Making due allowance for tho fact
| that Britlshcrs, like mankind generally,
can he trusted not to oVerstate their
incomes for purposes OF taxation, 1t is
| SUN Nv lNtHl lIlhi wv NtilNll VI AAlic
country Is not only greater than that
OF Great Britain, but that II is better
! distributed. Far more American FAM
lilies than British have incomes eN
rrcdng any given figure above $1,000
Il year As against the 5000 British
families with incomes of So 900 n year
or larger the famous tnhuhtton made
! Ivy Thomas Il. ShCnrman shows that
there are moro than twice rs many
American families possessing that de-
gree OF wealth These Shcnrman fix.
urcs have not been disputed by amy.
body, and, If truo they show that Mt
least 100000 American families, or p
coo, 600 persons, live on u level of COM
fort represented by IN income of 5000
II year or more, rs against the Same
number living ON the $1,000 year
plane In England. 1t is estimated that
$4,000 persons will be called upon In
this country to pay the new income
tax on incomes exceeding $1,000 n
year. The British parliamentary re-
turns indicate that this Is three times
Ms many persons ns are assessed over
that figure 10y the queens tax col
lcctors. ON the whole 1t seems snfa
to conclude that, In spite OF thirty
years OF unequal tarilf taxation, bad
currency policies, wasteful expcndl.
lures and legislative tendency 10 pile
up wealth In a few favored corners
Of the country, the average Incomes
Of families In the United States arc
sill higher than IN the most favored,
or at any rate the best governed,
country IN Europe. Wealth Is SUI dis
tributcd more evenly here than any.
where else IN the world. And 1t IL
the mission Of the democratic party,
by cquallzIng tax burdens and with
drawing special wcnlthcreatiug prlyi.
cgcs. by which small classes thrive
Mt the expense OF the masses, to make
II more evenly distributed yet.