Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-06-10
\ ENGLAND suaNlNG THE RICH.

principles Of taxation, that each citiaGn
should contribute to the state IN pr9-
portion to his ability TO pay, Is being
carried out to u somewhat literal de-
Il gree in Great Britain. l
The income tax has been in force
1 iii that country almost continuously
( since the year 1872: but last year II
yielded more revenue than any other
form of8taxation. The Inheritance tax
yielded half as n1uchas the income tax
I5oth Of these taxes are levied on
wealth. and not on production They
take from those who are most ablo to,
pay.
isss6I n exact fgnrcS the incone tax. for
: the year 1905 produced for the govern
5rnent s16S, ooo, 300, being levied on a pop
ulation OF 1850, 600 while the Inherit
ance tax yielded Saa, 1000.
Incomes under $1,000 are exempt from
4 taxation, and graduated attachments are.
allowed on incomes between $1,000 and
$500 The income tax is levied on the
profits accrulng from land tenementa,
\ leritages and the occupants of the1:1;.
4 on all profits from interest, annuittes
dividends and shares OF annuities pay
able 10 any person or corporation out
aof any public revenue; on the annual
profits aceruing TO any person In the
United Kingdom from any kind Of
1 property and from any profession,
trade OF employment, and upon every
public office or employment Of profit
and upon all pensions paid out of the
revenues OF the government. For the.
past few years tho rate of taxation has
been one shilling on the pound ster-
ling, on nearly 5 per cent. &
A deficit OF sS0,0O0,OOO, however. silt
faces the government for the ensuing
year; and MI Lloyd George proposes
to make up this by dipping still more
deeply into the purses Of the rich ~
Two of the greater items of increase
in the governmental expenditures are
those for larger navy and those for
8oldsage pensions In the past. the Brit
ish government has been accused Of
favoring the great landed class at the
+ expense Of the poor and middle class.
but the present program Ia a renewal
sgof this policy. The main features of
the new bill are the direct taxation Of
land, the Increased taxation of incomes
and legacies. and the taxation OF ma
gchfnery and mining property a tax Is
also laid upon automobiles and the
gasoline used In their propulsion, and
it is further proposed to tax such super
1uiities and luxulies az are not in The
same class as tea and sugar. About
as much OF the latter articles are con-
sumed by the poor as by the wealthy
individual and the present government
of Britain looks with tisfavor upon.
making the poor contribute in equal.
amounts with the rich for the national
defense and the support OF the intirnl
and aged.
The new bill is vigorously and bitter
aly opposed by the a1-istocracy. Lord
Ridley, who himself owns 10000 acres,
declares that under its provisions "a
millionaire will with death duties and
income tax added together, pay a total
tax OF five shilllngs in the pound"
which would be % per cent OF his in
gone. 5}
The tax is heaviest on what is termed
the unearned increment Of land. The
rise in the value of land and in It's rent
al yields, from the mere increase OF
the population surrounding it, is called
the ,tnearned increment; and IL is
proposed to tax very heavily this rise
in the value of land, which rise Is
due to no effort of the owners.
on moderate incomes the tax is light.
to $4,000, or say $4,000, his income tax
will be only mine pence in the pouna,'' !,
that is Is cents in each i've dollars OF
income,
The conservative papers denomce the
new tax proposals as revolutionary. The
London Times says:
Taking from the rich never max
the poor richer, but. on the contrary,
makes them poorer, in spite of any
transient dole they may obtain at the
rich mans expense What makes The
Selopment Of industry, the. lucrative
employment of capital, and the full
employment OF labor. The tariff re-
former knows that taxation may DC
sput on anywhere under any specious
form, but that no ingenuity can pre-
vent its distribution downward. He
also knows that Well-paid employment
Is the only ladder by which every man
dnBhis degree rises 10 a better position,
and free trade finance is doomed to fail
Just because 1t refuses to recognize
this economic truth 49,
The Saturday Review makes the fol
lowing comment:
rs it really the object of the present
Government to crush the landed gentry,
all except the big pots out of exist
ence2 1t looks like It, If the aristoc-
racy and the nloneyed class will stand
this budget they Will stand anything:
if they do not join forces to defeat il,
by fair means or foul, their day Is over,
and they will have q financial euthan-
asia at the hands OF MIR. Lloyd George
OIL. his SUCCESSOR
The Daily Mail speaks Indignantly
over the fact that SO large a proper
ton Of the appropriations is devoted to
sold-age pensions and comparatively
SO little TO Dreadnoughts
England now feels one of the first re-
suits of preparation for war. The con-
servative and wealthy classes we're
: those most alarmed at the prospect
I Of Of war with Germany and they excited
T the ina gination or the common people
2 with thh sa1,Ya f5aal t,,,t