The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-11-03
TAXES In ENGLAND
AND In AMERICA
Heavy Cost Of the Government 10 Great
Britain.
EQUALS sl4 FOR EACH INHABlTANT
Comparison Between the Sources OF
Revenue in That Country and in the
United states-- History ofthe brit-
ish National Debt--Other Compar-
stive statistics of Real Interest.

w. f. Curtis writes in the chicago
Record: Americans who are complain
ing of taxation and growing ABOUT
the burdens imposed by the Dingley
law can find very little consolation IN
the revenue returns and the budgets OF
Great BritaiH. The receipts or the
general government during the last
fiscal year, which ended March 81, 1871,
were $3.50, ,992, 1856. The population or
Great Britain and Ireland is between
80, 100000 and 10000 900, which, taxing
the maximum as the basis OF circula-
tion, shows that the rate OF taxation
for the support of the general govern
ment is $14 per capita.
The receipts of the United States gov
ernment for the first fiscal year, ended
June 80, 1897, were $347, ,1S4,72S, which,
with population OF 70,000,00O, Is equiv
alent to a tax of about 81 per capita.
Last year was the most prosperous
in the history of Great Britain, and 1t
is expected that the present year will
show a still greater increase in the
revenues, but there is no talk of re-
ducing taxation. Military and naval
expenditures are increasing annually.
OF the entire expenditures of the Brit
ish government more than four-fifths
went for war. war debts and prepara-
tions for war. The exact proportion
was 16 shillings and 3k pence in every
pound, leaving 8 shillings S1s pence for
all other purposes.
A few years ago the government OF
the United States suffered the unusual
affliction of a surplus revenue. In 1881
1t amounted to $55,500o0O, in 1888 to
i,, f1 ;,,
the receipts were S45, 900, 900 more than
the expenditures; whereupon congress
struck off the principal sources OF
revenue, and there has been a deficit
varying from $4,000,0O0 to $40, ,000 00C
every year since. In Great Britain ar
abundant revenue is considered an in
dicaton of national prosperity and q
satisfactory fiscal policy. A surplus Is
considered an advantage, and is applied
to the reduction of the national debt as
long as it lasts. The financial policy OF
the government is permanent. The peo.
pie will not allow it to be tamperec
with, and whenever the ministry talks
about such things as it is now talking
about, concessions to the silverites, the
public begins to demand it's retirement
The following is a list of the chic
sources of revenue of the British gov.
ernment, and the amount received from
each expressed in American money:
Customs ....... ....................$lU .$lU, 81, So
EXCISE ......... ..................s l6l, S3i 80
Property and income tax ........ S3,250,0U
Tax on legacies and estates 80. 6y,Sle, 10
Receipts from postoffice ........ SO, 9,3OOOO
Stamps on legal papers, etc ...s 37,75O0O
From telegraph and telephones. 14,55O ON
Land and house tax .........,.... II, $50 w
Receipts from crown lands ...... 2,O75, ,0O
Receipts from Suez Canal ...... 4,S20, S.
Miscellaneous ..... ............... 10,4Si05
Although Great Britain is a free
trade country that government collects
more than half as much money from
import dues as the United States, tn,
total in that country for the last fisca
year being $176, 1859 The import ia.
In Great Britain is imposed on article
that are considered luxuries-such a
tea, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, wines ant
liquors, beer, perfumery, soap, confec
tionery, fruits, playing cards, silver
ware and some other articles of simi
lar character.
The excise and stamp taxes in Eng
land correspond very closely to our in
ternal-revenue taxation. The receipt!
from that quarter in the United States
amount to $146,241, 263, while in Eng
land they reached nearly $500, 900, 900
In the United States the internal-rev
enue tax is imposed upon tobacco, beer
liquor, spirits of all kinds, playin,
cards and articles which contain alco
hol. In England the excise receipts ar,
likewise drawn from tobacco and drink
and no other country, except, perhap
Russia, obtains so large a proportion o
its revenue from that source. This Is
cause of great complaint. The reform
erS declare that the revenues com,
from the millions and not from the mil
lionaires, and they demand a remoya
or at least a reduction of the taxes OF
tea, coffee, tobacco and beer on tn
theory that they have become neces
saries of life.
The receipts from the sale of stamp
in Great Britaia amounted to $37, ,000, 90
last year. These stamps were attached
to legal documents-such as leases
mortgages, conveyances, insurance pol
icies, bills of exchange drafts, banl
checks and all bills for merchandiz
purchased above two shillings and 81.
pence. Postage stamps and internal
revenue stamps are interchangeable
which is a great public convenience.
But the millionaires add their shar
to the income of the goyernmen
through the tax on legaces and es
tates, which was attempted by tn
n A I'm yAE AV10