The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1912-05-04
Powers of Taxation Proposed to be
Given to Irish Parliament
Are Satisfactory.
Should Not be Opposed by Anyone
not Prepared to Resort to
Settlement by Arms.
Post Office and Dublin Metropol-
itan Police to be Given to
Irish Control.

Mr.. J. j. Clancy. NJ. p, outlines tho
financial provisions Of the Home Rule
bill as follows:
I.-Powers Of Taxation.
(a) The Imperial Parliament will
continue to have the power of fixing
tho taxes and the rate Of taxes for
the whole United Kingdom. but. when
it has done so-that is. when 1t has
taken the initial step In this matter
tho Irish Parliament will have pow
C: to increase, reduce. or discontinue
any Imperial tax. subject only to the
following restrictions:
G) No Customs duty can be
charged on any article not liable to
that duty In Great Britain. "a very
natural proposal coming from Free
Trade GovernmenD;
u1) No greater increase Of duty
than an increase of 10 per cent can
be made in any Customs duty (ex-
cept the Customs duty on beer and
the death duties;
UI1) No alteration can be made
in the stamp duties ON share certih-
Gates. bills. notes and such-like COM
.mcrc.al instruments.
(b) The Irish Parliament may i'm
pose, alter or discontinue any new
taxes 1t pleascs, except of course, new
Customs duties.
In other Words it may add, when-
ever II chooses, to the rate of Gus
toms Duties on beer and spirits, OF
ccpt some) of the Land Taxes, or Of
any other taxes imposed by the Inn
pcrial Parliament, 1t may add 10 per
! cent to the Income Tax. the Death
Duties, and the Customs Duties other
than those on beer and spirits: it may
reduce any tax, except certain stamp
duties; and it may impose. alter. or
| abolish any new taxes.
An illustration may here be given
Of the manner in which the exercise
OF the power Of varying taxation
would work.
The Irish Parliament might be able,
as 1t will certainly be able, to reduce,
by a considerable amount it's expendi-
ture. The Irish Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer would. If the reduction were
made have to decide what he would
do with the amount of the reduction.
| He might choose to reduce some Gus
toms duty. He might decide to re-
duce the duty on, say, tea or sugar.
If so, the Customs officers would COLI
lect the duty on tea or sugar import
ed into Ireland at the reduced rate.
and would give corresponding draw
back on the tea or sugar carried from
Great Britain (where the higher duty
was imposed) to Ireland, where the
reduced duty prevailed. Ireland. of
course. would lose so much revenue,
but tax payers would be relieved to
|
The Irish Parliament, however,
might find 1t necessary to incur fresh
expenditure for, say, useful publ:
works, and to meet that additional
expenditure the Irish Chancellor might
decide to make a corresponding addi-
tion to the Income Tax The Com
mssioners Of Inland Revenue would
collect the Income Tax in Ireland at
the higher rate, and the resulting
sum would go to increase the Irish
| Revenue.
| Those are the powers Of taxation
proposed to be given to the Irish Par
Lament, and they are greater, prob
ably. than many of the most excited
advocates Of complete control Of
Customs and Excise" and Ct the pol
icy of creating distrust in the Irish
| Party, have ever feared would be
| given.
lI.-Irish Expenditures; How Met.
i The general provision that Irish
State expenditure shall be met out Of
Irish revenue is, of course, asserted.
and cannot be controverted. But, at
present, the Irish Revenue does not
meet the expenditure. The revenue
derived from Ireland in the last fnan-