The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-10-27


thought they were acting shrewdly. There
is something about the word free" tha'
Is very alluring. II appeals TO most mer
In a way that no other word can. II II
not astonishing. therefore, that II caught
on" at once.
In very short time after the term
had been coined hosts OF writer's begar
TO sound its praises. They accepted the
cue furnished by the impressionists OF
the Manchester school OF economists, anc
began 10 laud a system which they said
would bring peace 10 the earth ana pro-
duce good will among men.
Doubtless many who gave expression &c
these ideas believed all they said ano
some OF them took pains TO point OUT
that free trade" did not mean exactly
what the two words implied. but the most
must be taxation OF some kind. and that
therefore Il would be impossible to devise
any plan by which production could es-
cape Its share OF the burden OF govern
ment.
In short, the glamour of the words man
aged to conceal from the people most IN
terested--the British masses-that the
purpose OF free trade was 10 shlft Ine
Incidence OF taxation In such manner
that the people best able to pay should
be called upon for the smallest contriou-
tions.
Many years before the abrogation OF the
OF Nations" had pointed out that taAes
on the necessaries OF life did not work
an injury to the toilers he SAID Win
The advanced price Caused by taxa
tom of such manufactures as are rear
necessaries Of life. and are destined TOT
the consumption OF the poor must mus.
be compensated to the poor by IA iurthoi
advancement OF their wages. a.,
No one has seriiusly attempted TO dis.
pute this assertion OF Or. smith, ~
would be useless to 90 so espselaiiiy p.. HIM ~
wage" is maintained. When the WORKING
classes in a country deliberately anu pei
sistently advocate IA living wage they
give expression TO smiths idea that they
must be recompensed with increaseo
wages for any tax placed upon the heces-
saries consumed by them. 60.
Not only have the toilers or breat
Britain recognized the axiomauc Io1ce
of smiths assertion; the class To which
he spoke directly also took II to heart
and nut his suggestion into execution
The learned doctor said
The middling and superior ranks OF
people IL they understand their own IN
terest ought always to oppose All taxes
on the neceesaries OF life, as well as
all direct taxes upon tho wages OF labor
The fnal payment of both one and the
other falls altogether upon themselves
and always with a considerable over
charge
Here We find tho handspring or those
who framed the fiscal policy Of the
United Kingdom. They knew that taxes
on necessaries could not be made To stick
to the workingmen. SO ''the middling and
superior ranks OF people" under the
pretext Of helping the poor,
a bolshed taxes which the foremost
had explicitly declared could
not affect that class.
Thy went n step further. for Adam
Smiths suggestions we're well rounded
out He did not confne himself To de-
scribing the kind OF taxes which could
not AFFECT the worklngman. he indicated
those which could be made to stick. He
said
Taxes upon Injuries have no tend
ency 10 raise the price OF any other com
modities except that OF the commodities
taxed
Here was = pointer. n was one that
appealed 10 "the middling and superior
ranks OF people because IL indicated a
mode OF which the heaviest part OF the
burden OF taxation could he placed on
he masses.
II was swiftly acted upon. AS rap
dly ae possible the Incidence OF taxa
ion was shifted. The taxsS on neces-
,aries we're removed. because they could
rot be made TO stick to the worker, for
he reason mentioned by Smith. and n
,areful system oT taking Mxuries was
ievfsed. which had for Its object the Inn
position OF the major part OF the burden
" taxation upon the toilng masses.
The term careful II used advisedly. In
ldopting the system OF taxing nxuries
he British statesmen kept In mind the
advice OF Adam smith and singled out
hose OF the worklngman and deliberately
excluded those OF the superior and mid
ling ranks OF the Inhabitants OF Great
Britain. Tobacco. tea, rum, spirits and
,eer. which are chiefly consumed by the
workers OF the United Kingdom, were
made dutiable or subjected 10 excise,
While kid gloves silks and all the other
Irticles used by the rich were exempted
rom taxation.
In 1902 the total sum derived from tax
Ition I'm the United Kingdom was fl22,54s,- !
%. OF this amount Gsl .otT 900 was from
ustoms. esl. .bos. 900 from excise. Ei4. .25l. 900
rom esetates and duties 600 from !
tamps e2.5O2.0oo from land tax and !
,ouse duty. and cas-. $4,000 from incomes. |
II this enumeration OF the sources OF |
British revenue is carefully scrutinized \
he ingenuity Of the trainers OF the tax /
will at once he realized II will be seen /
hat more than one-half OF the total rev. |
nues OF Great Britain Is derived from /
hose persons least able 30 pay.
Tho 2i0. .567 TM from toha eco, the G5-
". .s67 from tea. the R22ii.Sli from rum.
he f6.5a9, 227 from sugar and glucose. the
III, ,s4T. &2i from the spirit excise and the
'13 27e. o77 from beer are almost wholly
AIKEN from the working Glasses A large
art Of the land tax and house duty
20 e7502. oco is passed on 10
snants who are often toilers. and while
he income tar 10 supposed To bear d.
sctly upon those from whom n is deriv-
4. Il may reasonably be assumed that
len whose revenues are gained from in
ustriel or trading operations practice
ethods which enable them 10 piacs
bod deal of this tax on the shoulders OF
le poor
When n is stated that more than half Of
the taxes are drawn from the toilers OF
e United Kingdom the claim that Free
rade works IN the interest of the masses
80 once dissipated. and when 20 this
atement is added tho fact that IN the
nited Kingdom less than . per cent OF
families hold about three times az
uch private property as all the remand-
and that % per cent of the people hold
~ than per cent OF the accumulated
.aith. 10 is at once seen that the entire
stem of taxation II 80 arranged that n
lieves the rich and oppresses the poor
- fHla lr~otffatta f-fr frlhufton ~ ha