The Washington herald., 1913-05-29
tcorrrisht. 1913. By A. D. J.eotscn.l

| tcoryTiSht. 1918. By A D. Jscotson-l
The papers here and abroad are so
full of tax, tariff, and budget talk that
II will be OF interest to learn how
crowned heads meet this demand OF
their states and government
II the Kaiser should agree to pay the
tax on his income as King Of Prussia,
and from his personal properties, which
his government now demands ITO be pre-
pared for war by being fully armed,
he will not be the first monarch TO
share the financial burdens borne by his
subjects. Only recently the King OF
Siam empowered his Minister Of the
Interior to collect taxes on his estates
and houses throughout his kingdom sim
liar to u.Iose paid By private individuals.
Thus King Maha Vajiravndth considers
himself as being on the same footing as
any of his subjects in regard to the pay
ment of taxes. Possessing considerable
landed property, he Is willing to give
his government a share Of his income
as a contribution toward the cost OF the
maintenance of his state.
II is an historical privilege that the
King of England is TO be exempt from
payment of taxes. and il Is inconceivable
that any British Chancellor of the EN-
chcquer would have the temertty to pro-
pose that any change should be made in
the constitutional prerogatives of the
sovereign. As theoretically all taxes IN
Great Britain are levied in the Kings
name for the purpose Of carrying on his
government, they hold in England that
to tax the Kings income for the pur-
pose OF defraying the Kings expendi-
lures simply would be taking money
from one pocket to put IL into the other.
Well, this NAV be one way of looking
at it, but in my opinion IL is not the
right way. II is perhaps for the pur-
pose Of this method that everything in
britain Is tine hIng :. mere IL the
Kings navy and the King ships, the
Kings army. the Kings this. that and
the other. On the other hand. look at
the kingdoms of Germany. There moth
ing is the Kings" everything is
royal The royal courts. the royal
schools, the royal troops. &c. DO I make
myself plain? 1t is one thing TO talk
of the King of Prussia's army, hut quite
another TO say the royal PrussIan sol
diers." One is the property, the estap-
rsnment belonging TO an IndIvIduaI, Ins
other that of a whole country. In one
case the man who rules is supreme, in
the other the nation!
But the exemption from taxation in
Britain extends no further than the per
son of the sovereign: all other mem
beers OF his family are subject to taxa
ton.
The matter was tested by the late
Prince Consort IN connection with MS
farming experiments AT wInusOr. II Is
all a part Of the same theory that the
use of the royal arms by the royal war
rant holders is exempted from the opeT-
alton OF the act which enforoes the taxa
ton of armor1al bearings, ana this ex-
emption OF the royal arms allows the
family OF Lane. OF Kings Bromley, to
escape taxation because ny royal glIt
they bear upon their own arms a square
Of the arms of England to commence
rate the saving of King Charles III after
the hattie of Worcester by Jane Lane
But the King does not evade the pay
ment of his Just debts. and. contrary
TO what is often supposed, and frequent
" stated, the King pays from his privy
purse Tor his special trains and theater
tickets. II the King proposes to VISIT
theater. notice is sent beforehand, and
the royal box, in those theaters which
possess one, is sold only under the con-
dition that il must be given up If intima-
ton is received THAI 1t is required by the
King.