The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-03
GEORGE PAYS FOR
THEATRE TICKETS
Expenditures for Special Trains Also
Come Out of His Picket-King
Makes Many Gifts

| If the German Emperor consents to pay
tax on his income of s7,0O0o00 towards
the raising of the additional cost of the
German army, he will not be the first
crowned head to share the financial bur-
den which has to be borne by his sub
jects, says Tit-Bits. Just recently the
King of Siam empowered the minister
of the interior and the local government
board of his state to collect taxes on
his lands and houses throughout the
country similar to those paid by pri-
vate individuals. Apart from his official
position, King Maha Vajiravuch consid-
ers himself as being on the same foot
ing any ordinary person in regard to
the payment of taxes. He possesses con-
siderable property, and he is willing to
give the government a share of his in
come as contribution towards the main
tenance of the state.
1t is an historical privilege that the
monarch of this country should be ex-
empt from payment of rates or taxes,
and it is inconceivable that any British
chancellor of the exchequer would have
the temerity to propose that any change
should be made in the constitutional posi-
tion of the sovereign in this respect The
reason why his majesty does not pay
rates or taxes is that theoretically all
taxes are levied in the Kings name fol-
the purpose of carrying on the govern
ment. and that to tax the income of the
King for the purpose of defraying the
| Kings expenditure would simply be TAX
ing money from one pocket to put IL
| into the other.
| So stringently is this theory adhered
| to that the exemption from taxation ex
tends no farther than the person Of thu
sovereign, and all other members of thu
royal family are subject to the same tax
alton as the rest of us. The matter was
| tested by the late Prince Consort in con
| nection with his farming experiments a
| Windsor. 1t is all part of the SAM
/ theory that the use of royal arms by thu
royal warrant holders is exempted from
| the operation of the act which enforce
| the taxation of armorial bearings. ant
this exemption of the royal arms allows
/ the family of Lane, of Kings Brom
| ley, to escape taxation because by roya
| gift they bear upon their own arms
/ canton of the arms of England to com
memorate the saving of King Charles II
| after the Battle of Worcester by Mistres
| Jane ldHe.
But the King does not evade the pay
ment of his just debts and contrar.
| to what is often supposed. and frequent
| ly stated, the King pays from his priv!
purse both for his special trains ant
theatre tickets. If the King proposes t
visit a theatre, notice is sent beforehand
and the royal box in those theatres whicl
possess one, is sold subject to the condi
1 tion that it must be given up II intima
ton is received that 1t is required by hi
majesty
But If the King has the privilege of no
paying taxes, 1t is we'll known fac
that multifarious calls are made upon hi
majesty's purse in other respects-so mul
tifarious, indeed, that it has often beel
remarked that the civil list, which com
| pares very meanly with the revenue o
| almost every other ruler, is wholly mad
/ euuate to the position occupied by tn
King Of England. Here are few item
which throw some light on the royal ex
penditure: His majesty's privy purse
| f1100O0 salaries to his majesty's house
| hold and retired allowances, E125,O00; ex
penses Of his majesty's household, f192,
600; royal bounty, aims and special serv
ices. G13, 200.
| heavy expenditure is entailed upol
the King through the frequent and splen
did entertainments which his majest,
deems it his duty to give from time t.
time. Even the refreshments provided
at the courts amount to considerable
figure, while such bare items IS light