The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-04
INGENIOUS METHODS
OF RAISING TAXES.
England Has Exacted Tribute
from Use of Hair Powder.

The introduction of old-age pensions
into Great Britain's budget recalls
some of the other unusual taxes which
upon the taxpayer.
Pitt. during the great war with
France, tried every tax imaginable. He
put a tax on hair powder. For 100 years
the wig, introduced from France, was
very fashionable. But about the middle
Of the eighteenth century it began to
fall into disuse and hair powder took
its place. Men tied their natural hair
in o queue and covered it with powder.
To appear at any social function with
unpowdered hair was an impossible Of
tense.
Taking advantage Of the fashion,
Pitt put IN the ~"guinea-pig" tax. as it
was called. charged On a householder
in respect of every person in mis- house
who used hair powder. But there were
many exemptions; in addition to the
royal family and their servants, clergy
men not possessing a hundred a year,
subalterns and privates in the army
I'M officers in the navy under the
AoiAh VI ~
Pitt expected a revenue of over S4,-
600, 900. But the Wings, headed by the
Duke of Bedford, decided to balk the
chancellor by abandoning the use of
hair powder. In September, 1916, some
of the Wing leaders-the Duke of Bed
ford, the Marquis of Anglesea, the Earl
of Jersey. Lord William Russell and
others-met in solemn conclave at Wo-
burn Abbey and there sorrowfully cut
off their queues. Curled and oiled
whiskers took the vacant place, and
powder was left to men servants, but
it was not till 1869 that Mr.. Lowe re-
pealed the hair powder tax as not be-
ing worth the cost of collection.
Wal with France was the cause OF
the tax on dogs. In 1856 the impost
commenced, but it was limited to per-
son keeping sporting dogs or a num-
Der of dogs. For a long time-1S40-53-
dog owners paid q very heavy toll. For
ali transporting dogs the tax was S2.40,
for sporting dogs, 81, and for grey
hounds, $3.50 per head. But in 1853 Mr..
Gladstone changed the tax TO 50 for
any kind of dog. Even this was toe
high. Not one-fourth of the owners
paid, and so great became the number
of dogs on the public roads that some
thing like a panic arose throughout the
country.
In London the parks were infested
by stray dogs, and it was a common
sight TO see dozens of them following
riders in the Row, \barking at thu
horses. SO to prevent evasion the taN
was reduced to $1.25 and afterwaro
raised to the figure at which 1t now
stands.
In England it had often been pro-
posed to tax bachelors. For a dozer
years at one time they were taxed; sc
We're widowers, and so, rather illogic-
ally, were marriages and births. as wei
as deaths. From 1856 to 1903 a bach
elor duke paid no less than $62.I5; II
he married he had to a $3.50
when his wife died he was taxed $3.50
for his eldest son $3.50 and for any Other
son $125.
The window tax, Il very old tax, com
mencing in the reign of William III.
was not discontinued until Lord Hall
fax changed ii TO the house duty II
1851. 1t must have caused a greaI
amount OF consumption, anaemia ant
other foul air maladies, for in 1850 Their
were only an average of six windows Il
English houses.
In many old houses n still sees il
England mock windows painted on ths
walls for symmetry.