The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-04-15
The BRITISH BUDGET.

The British taxpayers are probabl
somewhat relieved over the fact that the
budget introduced in the house of com
mons yesterday did not make a heavier
pull on their resources than it did, They
are reminded, however, as they were last
year, that war is very expensive proc
ess. p
The chancellor of the cxcheouer states
the estimated ordinary expenditure for
the fiscal year 1902 and 1908 at SS73, O45,-
600, Of which 1927 100000 is for war
charges. The total deficit for the present
year is $134. 10000 and some $So,OC0,O 900
are to be added to the deficit for addi-
tional war expenditures.
Additional taxation is necessary, as last
year under such conditions. but the chan
cellor varies the taxation. Last year two
pence were added to the income tax MAX
ing it one shilling two pence in the pound.
This year. penny is added, making the
tax Is Hence in the pound as compared
with pence in 1S9S-99 ($SOO exempt
Sugar and coal are subjected to no addi-
tional tax, but the stamp tax is increased,
and to- make W. the requirements, duty
on flour is laid of pence. per 100 pounds
and Jon all imported grain duty of 8
pence hundred is levied whether it
comes from Britain's colonial domain or
from other countries. The new taxation
will yield $25, 1901 900 as compared with the
$50, 100000 new taxation raised last year
nj no left ri nil Go
by a loan and treasury notes. n
The charcellor's theory is that it is a
fatal policy which places the whole cost
of the war on loans without charging a
reasonable percentage of it on the tax
payers of to-day, which is commendable
principle. He did not repeat the remark
ne made last year in presenting the
budget that THE prolongation Of the war
has brought the country almost to the
verge of ruin" He characterized that
budget as the most momentous budget of
modern times" because the indirect taxes
We're increased by $4,000 900.
1t is change of the Peel policy to re-
sort to an increase of indirect taxation.
but this is an emergency which must be
met in the most convenient way, fer the
income tax has been raised to the maxi
mum limit which taxpayers will stand,
and beer is now paying its maximum tax.
The expenditures OF the British govern
nent have Increased from $35O,OOO, 900 in
1871 to about st05, 900, GOO in 1881, to s91S,-
100000 in 1901. 1t is commended by Sir
Robert Griffin and others that the ability
OF the country to meet such taxation has
correspondingly increased, but this theory
leaves out the business shrinkage of Eng
land during the last five years when she
has been losing trade to our country and
Germany.
No duty on grain has been collected in
the United Kingdom since 1868, when 1t
aggregated $4,S00.000, and since then the
disposition Of the British government has
been to resort to an increase OF the in
come tax to help out in emergencies. It
was Mr. Gladstone's favorite resort, and
since the repeal of the corn laws, the
British government has heavily Increased
the direct taxation which is kind which
makes itself felt, notablyin excuses and
stamps, since the revision of the customs
tariff begun by Huskissomn and Peel was
accomplished in 1854 and the 1000 ar
ticles Of the tariff of 1912 we're reduced
to 4s. Mr.. Gladstone's theory was that
the income tax would be steady and en-
ployed to meet the everyday expenses of
the nation, but in practice he used it for
particular eXigencies. Sir Michael Hicks
Beach, tinds that, in the present; erder-.
gency, casual resources are exhausted and
he falls back on indirect taxation.
While the grain and -four duties i'm
posed are in the nature of revenue tax
alton, they are in accordance with the
views Of not few. English public men,
who would promote the doctrine Of flair