The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-26
Tho British Budget .

The British Budget.
The budget for the fiscal year 10000
Introduced on Thursday in the House o.
Commons by the Chancellor Of the Ex
chequer, Is Of interest to Canada and thu
United States az we'll as the United King
dom. The payers Of taxes, both direc,
and indirect, in the British Isles are to 9
certain extent relieved. but the hopes
Of the Imperial Federationists, who
have desired to give colonial grain q
preference in the markets Of the mother
country a. compared with similar prod
ucts from the United States, must be
regarded as extinguished. II such a
preference cannot be secured from the
present Unionist Government, II IL, OBJ
viously, unattaihable.
II the existing taxes wero allowed to
continue, the estimated revenues during
the coming fiscal year would exceed the
estimated expenditures by about ssl,-
100000. This surplus Mr.. RIrcHu pro-
poses to eliminate in two ways: first,
by abolishing the registration duty on
grain and four. which was reimposed
by Sir MIcHAEL HIc Ks-BEAcH; secondly,
by taking four pence, or eight cents,
OF the income tax. The removal OF the
registration duty on grain will reduce
the revenue this year about 10000, 900,
and the reduction Of tho income tax
about 42,50o,oo0. Tho Chancellor Of the
Exthequer admitted that, even thus 70
duced, the income tax bore too heav-
lily on certain Glasses Of the popula-
ton, but he could sec no prospect OF
an immediate tightening Of the burden
unless the present notorious evasions
could be checked. No doubt, this feat
ure Of the budget, the lessening Of the
income tax. viii be criticised on several
grounds by the Representatives Of the
indirect taxpayers. The brewers, for
instance. arc likely to think that, with q
considerable surplus at his disposal,
Mr.. RITcHB ought to have cut down /
the excise duty on beer. inasmuch a. tho
returns for tho last twelvemonth showed
that the extreme limit OF taxation had
been reached In the case Of that conn
modify. Mine owners and miners will
not unnaturally hold that the export |
duty on coal. which, avowedly, was a
war tax, should have been repealed.
especially a. the competition OF Ameri- |
can coal IL dreaded IN the Mediterranean
markets. As the customs duties on sugar
and tea are to be retained, the advocates
Of FREQ breakfast table are certain to !
b disappointed. 49,
h his speech explaining the budget,
NJ Richie aid some things hard to
account for, except Upon the theory that
the section Of tho Cabinet represented
By him d opposed to Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN,
and that this section ID preponderant.
Il win b remembered that, although
he Taxpayers Of tho Transvaal Colony,
which, practically. means the gold pro-
ducsrs Of johannesburg, have agreed to
SITS. oo0. 900 toward the cost Of
Ehs South African War, Mr.. CHAMBRa-
LAIN promised that the British Govern
nent. on its part, would guarantee loan
81 about $50, o0o, 900. to be expended for
he benefit Of the agricultural districts
N the former South African Republic
Mr.. RITCHIB does not hesitate to con-
iemn any expenditure for that purpose
Ind to insist that South. Africa ought to
lay the whole cost of the war. No sober
minded man, be sid. could justify the
'eoent enormous outlay Of the British
government, which for the wars In South
africa and China had in four years ,
81 .oe6 ,Ooo, 0oo OF this out !
~ rather less than 500, 900 900 would be
made good by the Transvasl repayment
nd the Chinese indemnity. Retrench- ]
nent was pronounced indispensable, but ]
4r. RICHIE could zee no opportunity q
or eoonomizing, except in the appropria- 7
IONS for the army. This was equivalent Z
o saying that the plans Of the War Office t
dvocated by Mr.. BBoDRICK did not @
rect with the approval-of the Chancel- a
20 Of the Exchequer. ~, t
~ far. however, as Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN d
nd the Imperial Federationists are il
it was when Mr.. RIrCHIE pro- a
osed to annul the registration duty on O
rain that he struck at the ark of the a
ovenant. The whole fabric of imperial "
has been reared upon the ex. n
sctation that the preference already
iven by Canada TO British products cl
example commended TO the other II
be compensated for by a ct
discrimination in favor of q,
olonial products in the markets of the al
nited Kingdom. 1t has been taken for Ii,
ranted' that the registration duty on d,
rain and flour was the first step in the NJ
esired direction. BY repeating even that III
1vial duty, the Unionist Government Al,
ractically says that it would not give tn
se snap OF finger for the preference OF HI
'i-s per cent. conceded by Canada to inn CT