New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-01
TILE NEW IRISH QUESTION.

Tho British Parliament will have the Irish
ouestion" on its hands in a new form when
II reassemblcs this month. The demand now
is not for Home Rule, but for lower taxation,
md for equalization Of taxation between Ire
land md Great Britain. There is no serious
contention that the island IL disseminated
against in all respects. 1t is indisI uiaDie that
under the Union policy begun in 1871 the iiscai
systems of Ireland and Great Britain have been
made almost identical. But that very equail'!
Is one part of the Irish grievance. 1t is claimed
that rs Ireland is poorer than England her
rote of taxation should lie less. That princi-
ne. If extended, would require varying rates
fer The variOns counties OF the Whole 'hi'eu
Kingdom. from which endless CONFUSION Would
probably result The other part OF the griev-
ance IS that an actually higher tax OF one KIM
10 wit cxcise-is levied upon Ireland than
upon England. That circumstance was tersely
explained by Mr. Ford In his London cable let
ter in last Sundays Tribune. Ireland drinks
wbiskey. while England drinks beer and the
fax on whiskey is higher than on beer. That
The Government will be persuaded to put the
same tax upon a gallon of beer, which contains
half pint of alcohol. rs upon gallon or
whskcy. which contains two quarts OF alcohol
Is exceedingly doubtful.
In former years taxation In Ireland was far
other than at present. 1t was lighter for
whskcy drinkers, but on the whole probably
NOT SO advantageous TO the whole people. In
1919 for example. the whiskey tax in Ireland
was 81 80 a gallon and in England 1922. In
1888 il was 5S and 81 % respectively. In
1853 II was made the same In both countries,
and now stands at 81 g. Doubtless that Is
burden to Ireland. But then, on the other
hand Ireland is exempt from land and house
taxes. establishment licenses railway duty,
patent medicine duty and dog tax. At present
taxation in Ireland is about 81 20 head or the
popuaion while in Great Britain it Is Sll 20.
II NAV be that even that difference is not so
great as the difference In average wealth;
which remains 10 be seen. That the taxation
of Ireland is essentially excise taxation Is
unite evident OF the total imperial inland
revenue in 1895 In Ireland more than &c per
cent came from the excise, while in England
and Wales less than SO per cent came from
that source Another interesting feature OF the
case is this, that lreland's taxes are chiefly
and increasingly spent for Ir.land's local pur-
poses In 1919 Ireland paid SlS.4Jo,OO0 Tor
imperial and only S7.S20,0OO for local purposes
But the ratio between the two Items thereafter
steadily changed. Imperial charges decreased
local appropra atoms increased. In 1919 the
former were Sl613OOOO and the latter S2O,2IO'-
600: and in 1893 Of the Islands taxes only
SO. Sc, 600 went for the army, navy and other
imperial purposes. while no less than $2s,o1o'-
600 was devoted to home affairs. Scotland. a
much less popuous country, pays more than
three times as much TO the imperial funds
and England more than twenty-six times as
much # is also to be observed that in many
respects popular wealth is increasing in Ire
land more rapidly .han IN Great Britain. Thus.
savings. bank deposits in fourteen years have
increased 2l9 per cent IN the former and only