BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-05-23
Curious Elg|iSl IQIeS.
Duties Imposed on the Powder
Hearths, Christenings
and Births.

The chancellor of the exchequer need
not hesitate to impose duties upon any
thing which strikes his fancy for lack
lof precedents, says London Tit-Bits.
Pitt alone would furnish Sir Michael
Hicks-Beach with an ample supply of
Subjects for the tax collector. Thus, in
the budget of 1884, he suggested new
duties on that, ribands, Goals, gauzes,
horses, linens and calicoes, candies,
Dicks and tiles, paper and hackney coa-
ches," list to make the hair of the pre-
sent day taxpayer stand on end.
But even Pitt had compassion, for, be,
fore this budget passed the House, he
agreed to withdraw duty On hops
provided he was permit Ted to rubstitute
others on gold and silver plate, lead
exported, racehorses, ale licences and
postage of lecters."
A year later ne threw his net even
WIDER, Ior he thea impose a tax on
emale servants whictr he said would
produce 4I4o,ooo, and one on retail
shops, @hich was estimated to ield
4l2o,ooo The former only lasted for
seven years, but the hat tax-which
required head-coverings to bear re-
venue stamp-was no abolished until
1871.
There is an ample field of taxation,
which has long lain fallow, in the inc
vitable events of every persons life.
Thus births we're taxed from 1906 till
!; | 1888, and in the latter year another
duty was put upon christenings. Sup.
orters of a graded income tax would
find an argument to fit their contention
in these birth taxes. Tor there were all
kinds Of rates imposed, from $50 for
an increase in the family of duke
down to the IS. which had to be paid
: by a laborer who added one to the
number of his olive branches.
I Burials were taxed during the same
: period as births, with the addition, in
; 1888, of an apparently superduous duty
/ on deaths. A mans burial presupposes
his decease. under most circumstances
and the fact that at least one chancellor
of the exchequer has chosen to ignere
this obvious fact shows the extent Of
the powers Of the holder of that exalted
office.
Marriages were taxed from 1906
onward, but neither bachelors nor wild
overs escaped if they avoided it, fo1
they, too, had to pay. From 1906 till
17o6 they we're mulcted at the rate OF
1I2 los. if they were dukes down to a
humble shifting if they were ordinary
persons. In 1885 they were again taxed
being required to pay extra on their
male and female servants, but in this
instance Romish priests were exempt.
If they murried they were in no better
case, for the act of 1906 provides that
a duke shall pay $50 and commoner
rs. Cd. to the exehequer, by way of
, celebrating such happy event
One of the most extraordinary taxes
ever imposed was one passed in the
reign of William III, by which duty
Of one penny per week was laid upon
all persons not receiving aims. By the
same act tax of one tarthing in the
pound per week was required from all
servants earning from "a to IS yearly,
and double that rate on all whose wages
we're from IS to so. This was prob
ably the earliest form of income tax.
Taxes on hearths, chimneys, wind
ows, heads, watches, clocks, hair, hair
powder, glass and coaches were as COM
mon With our ancestors as dog or gun
licenses with us, SO that, even althouhh
the chancellor's budget hits us hard, we
may at least be thankful for some small
mercies.