The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-30
COMMONS CLEEFUL
OYER TAX BURDENS
Members Cheer Wildly as Nc
Kenna Announces Huge
New Budget.
COCOA R HARD HIT
Special Correspondence 10 THs sus.

LONDON, April 6.-The British Budget
Of 1916 ie no laughing matter. and yet
a foreigner sitting In the gallery Of the
House while Mfr. Mckenna was unfolding
his budget statement would never have
Imagined that members we're listening to
the announcement Of how their pockets
were going to be picked. How the House
cheercd when Mr.. Mckenna announced
that he was going to tax anusements
Tickets for theatres" said the Chan
cellcr amidst applause. "cinemas' loud
cheersl-"football matches tstill louder
cheers meetings" t~deafening ap-
plause1.
Such items as the new railway ticket
tax and the cent increase on the sugar
duty were listened to with languid in
terest. but the House rocked with de-
light when It heard that the duty on
cocoa was at last to be brought into
nearer relation to that on tea.
For years the Government has cod
died the cocoa party that large section
Of Liberals headed by the Rowntrees
and the Frys, and the rest OF the great
<etN vs. VIC iVs'h ,Naii-
cellor Of the Ex%cheauer's bringing cocoa
INTO line will immensely augment his
popularity.
PrOhibitionists hit Too.
When the House heard Of the tax on
mineral waters it gave itself up to UNI
restrained hilarity. The prohibitionists
had been caught In the net Of the fowler
al last and members h for years nae
groaned under the increasing %pcnalixing
OF wines and spirits felt that at last they
were avenged.
OF course 1t was not always the same
section OF the House that laughed
through the several items OF Mr.. Nc
kennas budget. Those who were tickled
when ~racecourses were mentioned were
those who LOOKED glum when mineral
waters caught II, n the men who
moaned when cocoa was "strafed' en-
ulted AT the increase III the motor car
duty. But, to quot the Manchester
Guardian. the Chancellor OF the En-
chequer never acked applause at any
stage. and the House Of Commons would
have given the foreign observer the idea
that II does not use motor cars and
matches. does not drink cider or mineral
waters and does not go to cinemas. race.
courses. theatres or football matches.
Mr.. Mckenna has taken his courage In
both hands and has raised the national
taxation to more h $500. 900, 600
that Is. more than one-tfth and prob
ably not far short Of a quarter Of the
total national income.
CritIcism Of Rudget.
Mr.. Mckenna's budget. the greatest in
the worlds history. has been on the
whole well received. The times says
'TheSe will. Of course he some criti-
ci,m Of the way In which the additional
taxation is levied. however cheerfuiy
II may he paid. We nave considerable
doubt ourselves a. TO the justification for
raising the income tax again beyond the
90 per cont. addition which in any case
became operative this year. This meant
an Increase Of 40 per cent. over the last
peace rate, and the income tax payers
would even then he contributing more
than what used 10 be thought their fair
share toward the total revenue.
There is no increase in the super-tax,
and IL may be true that the full raising
of the rate make il no higher thar the
richer people can well AFFORD. But these
continual increases in tho rates OF the
tax have two special dement's. They add
To the complications incidental 10 COL
lection and they fail to discriminate be-
tween taxpayers OF equal incomes but
family men, 90. the Increase will fall
with real hardship AT a time when a de-
creasing birth rate SHOULD warn the
state against overburdening the obliga-
tions of parentage.'