New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-14
FREE TRADE BUDGET.
No PROSPERITY FOR IRELAND-A REV.
ENUE SYSTEM THAT WOULD BE
IMpRACTICABLE IN THE
UNITED STATES.
London. April 3.

elastic estimates OF the Chancellor OF the Ex-
cheouer and disclosing an Increase Oh t@'o'o'ooA
over the previous years receipts "heh the
sums RENTED for local taxation are oeouc'eo
the Chancellor has fl03o49Sso 1or ms 'o'ei
account with an increase OF tI'3'o'"". a"
the staple sources Of revenue are yic'oins
larger returns than ever before. and the ChIteo
Kingdom was never more prosperous nv
hundred million budget stage mas peeh man"
tained for several years, yet rehhssio"' "
taxation are not even promised reo"c''oH
OF the income tax from eight pence 10 BIN Pe"''
would require hardly more than the si'''
surplus Of the year, but there Is Iittie reaso"
for expecting that the Queens year VIII DE
celebrated IN so practica. a way. Military and
naval expenditures are steadily increasing the
voluntary schools are 10 be aided by treasury
grants and probably the Board schools as well.
and a surplus Is never available for remission
Of taxes rs the revenue grows, claims upon
~ are multiplied There is relief for the
taxpayer
There was a long period when inc revenues
~ the United States were equally elastic. and
when there was an immense surplus available
FOR the reduction Of the National debt. The
discovery was made that this unexampled pros
nertv was source OF danger and corruption.
and the signal was given for prolonged agita-
tion against the policies which had been In sue
ressful operation for generation. In Eng
land there IS no disposition TO take arms
against prosperity and 20 reverse economic
noIicies The Ministers of the day do not pro-
claim: 1T is not a theory. but condition tnat
copfronts US" They are not alarmed put
overjoyed when there is an increase OF rev
enues They do not find a surplus source oi
embarrassment They make use OF II quickly
and hope for a larger one the folo"ins 's~'
Not penny is taken off the income TAX
Abundant revenue Is considered an ihdlca''on
of National prosperity and Of the SATISFACTORY
operation of fiscal policies The revenue syV
tenn. to which the business interests OF the
country are adjusted, is not turned ups'os
down. as was done in America four years ago.
The engine is not suddenly reversed when tne
train is travelling at high speed with clear
track in front Of II.
PROSPERITY LOCALIZED.
The phenomenal prosperity which Is inoica'eo
~, the revenue returns is not distributed
,broughout either the Empire or the United
Kingdom India is overwhelmed with calami-
ties and financial exhaustion; South Africa IS
under a cloud; the British West lndies efe
,ansuisbing and menaced with economic ruin
and there are many neglected estates OF the En-
pire which are In hopeless condition. For
three DAYS there has been debate In the House
Of Commons over the financial relations OF Eng
land and ireland, and Mr. Lecky, Free tracer
and Unionist has made this remarkable ststs-
ment:
Since free trade England has ADVANCED IN
nrosnerity 10 a greater degree than almost any
other country: but in Ireland the enect mas
been different Ireland is almost exclusively
nd
trade was to deprecate the articles which sne
nroduced and to deprive her of that monopoly
which she had previously had In England fof
bar goods do not believe that the depopuie-
,ion ~ Ireland is the result of taxation 90
not believe that any human being ever ieft
England because he had to pay too much TOT tea-
tobacco or whiskey, and went over TO the lhlteo
States, where he had TO pay nedVy protec."e
duties After the pressure OF the FAMINE wnal
really depopulated Ireland was free trace which
turned IL from an arabic into a pastoral iaho'
The rnionist st James's Gazette" follows UP
This confession from the most trustworthy arAp
eminent English historian Of Ireland with TINS
vigorous indictment:
"a less excusable act was never done 'han
that of Gripping at a blow the great staple IN
dustry OF Ireland because II suited Ehsns"
manufacturers to get their labor cheap ana 'heir
raw material free. When progressive hadica'S
pile UP the long indictment against the selfish
government by an aristocratic oligarchy OF ire
l.nd IN the last century. let them remember that
an injury greater than the Navigation acts moro
lasting than the Penal laws. was deliberately
inflicted on Ireland to satisfy the theories OK MI.
Golden and fill the pockets Of the Lancashire
and YORKSHIRE bourgeoiSie. After that VINO shall
say that we do not owe some PREPARATION 10 Afe-
>,1afp
Observation-Disclosures era we deprived Ireland
IF her chief industry. plundered her landlords
prescribed end prosecuted her natural leaders.
cestroved nublic confidence and left her TO shift
for herself under the system of free competition:
and fhen wondered that she declined to be pros.
Porous and contented.
THE POOR OVERTAXED.
According to these faithful Unionist witnesses.
the prosperity which has attended the operation
% the freetrede system has been confined TO
Enelard and Ireland has had no share OF IL. Nor
are the results in England wholly satisfactory
70 Radical Free Traders. Mr. Augustine Birrel
has been lecturlng this week in East Marylebons
or the sources Of national income and complain
ing bitterly because the poor are "monstrousy
overtaxed." The great thing he conterded was
to get at every man and tax him ieing to his
means The Government ought not 10 rely upon
the drink traffic source Of income; II was
not sound basis Of finance, and II was unfair to
tie poor man; nor ought they TO derend upon the
millionaire cigars and champagne, because the
millionaire was generally dyspeptic Individual
who lived cheaply on soda-water 1t from
the millions not from the millonaires, that they
ought 70 expect revenue, and he hoped that each
succeeding Chancellor 81 the Exchequer would
widen the net and get in every available person.
and tax him according 10 his individual ability.
MIR Birrell does not want less income taxation.
hut more Of IL, because he thinks the poor man
Is overtaxed for his tea. tobacco and drink.
The current opinion, however, Is that the In
creased revenues from tobacco and drink indl-
cate clearly that England is prospecting and that