Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-18
THE BRITISH TAX ON FOOD.

DIT Mlcndel HlckS-Beach chancellor
of the British exchequer, evidently had
not conferred with the merchants of
the United Kingdom when he asserted
that the imposition of duties on -four
and grain would not increase the price
of food. Wheat and -four have ad-
vanced materially since the nnoun
ment of the governments new policy
for raising revenue and a further in
crease in the price of breadstuffs would
not be surprising. 1t is rather remark
able that so capable and experienced a
finance minister as Hicks-Beach should
have seriously thought a tax on food
would not increase the price, for he GER
tainly ought to have understood that
British merchants would protect them
selves by making the consumer pay the
tax. Their course is perfectly natural
and &C the United Kingdom imports the
greater part of it's breadstuffs they may
be able to maintain the advanced
price.
What effect the increased cost of food
will have Upon the mass of British con-
sumers remains to be seen, but it is
hardly to be supposed that there will
be no popular complaint, for to mil
dom wen a slight increase in the cost
of food is a serious matter. The work
ing classes are not as a whole pros
porous and Industrial conditions there
for the last two or three years have not
been favorable. To very many Of the
people a slight addition to the cost of
living may meal %privation, since they
are already compelled to practice the
closest economy. 1t is to be expected,
therefore, that there will be a more or
less vigorous outcry against the result
of the food tax. but it will, of course, be
useless. since the government must have
more revenue and this is the simplest
way of obtaining II. No doubt the chan
cellor Of the exchequer would have been
| glad to have found some other practica-
BILE and less unsatisfactory way Of pro-
viding for the heavy demands upon, the
national treasury.
The British tax upon breadstuffs is
a matter of some interest to this coun-
try, which furnishes most of the -four
and wheat consumed In the United
Kingdom. Our exports OF wheat to
that country for the year ended June
! 80, 1901, amounted to over 10000 0
bushels, besides which we exported
nearly 100000 barrels of flour. . We
| IL. .ork e. thu ITn9fnA EfnoAOna ohNut
so, 900, 900 bushels of corn. The new
budget imposes six cents per hundred
weight on wheat and corn and ten
cents per hundred weight OF -four. The
relative importance OF the British mar
ket appears from the fact that our
total exports Of domestic wheat for
the last fiscal year amounted to 215,-
99O,073, bushels, 50 that the United King
dom takes more than One-third Of our
total wheat surplus. 1t is suggested that
the tendency of the British tax is to lower
the price Of wheat here, but this would
seem to depend upon whether there is
reduced consumption, which, of course,
there is likely to be. 1t is not yet ap-
parent that the British duties have had
any effect upon the American market
but they may have sooner or later and
indeed this is to be expected:
Meanwhile the British will
hope for good crops everywhere, fol
which the present prospect is not al
together favorable. The return Of Eng
land to a class of taxes which were
abandoned more than half a century age
is a step which may have a very de
cided effect upon the future economic
and social conditions Of that country.