The daily morning oasis., 1920-08-14
EDITORIALS,
A COMFORTABLE DOCTRINE

Those who are prone to console themselves with
that comfortable doctrine that "thngs might be
worse" could find in these days of high taxation
deal of consolation in deving into methods and sys-
TENS of taxation in other times and other lands By
doing they would not only learn that of the
most recent taxes imposed tried out long since
and then abandoned but they would learn also there
could be revived and applied many such taxes that
the taxing power does not seem to have grasped as
possible.
The tax on advertisements in periodicals and
newspapers when transmitted through the mails to
cite an instance is one to which all publishers OBJ
ject most strenuously. Yet according to q writer
who contributed recently a special article upon
"Curiosities Of Taxation" to an eastern magazine
imposed that tax does not go far has gone
in other days and generations In Great Britain
newspapers were considered luxury through sew
era generations and were taxed as s,ich tax which
maintained until 1S50-hut seventy years ago,
along with tax upon all adve1 tisements appearing
in public prints. So, is seen the present tax upon
advertisements is levied only upon such copies of
newspapers and periodicals as are transmitted by
mail, and there is tax upon the issue itself. Pa
pers delivered by any agency oCber than the mails
may escape the tax complained about The limit
of taxation upon knowledge has not been reached by
q great deal.
The same article upon curiositics of taxation
enumerate many fruitful sources of revenue that the
tax gatherer overlooks. A few of them included in
this article will serve to emphasize the assertion
that "things might be worse" and give much con-
ISOLATION to the harassed tax payer.
For instance there was the weekly meal tax
in England IN Puritan tmes-a tax levied upon every
person IF the price of one meal per week. "a hearth
tax" known to the public as "a chimney tax" was
also in vogue in England during the reign Of the
Stuarts For short time there was levied tax
upon marriages and burials. The former exists to
this day. not only in England hut all the United
States and Canada, in the legal requirement for
marriage license to procure which the willing swain,
or an ohgng friend is mulct but the burial tax has
disappeared Government still exacts fee for a
bliss ticket; but there is charge for transporta
ton to the "realm of eternal bliss in England both
:he taxes cited were rated according to social stand
ing of the parties the principle of Equality of tax
ation," being neglected A duke was taxed fifty
severeigns for burial, while "plain gentleman"
get off at single sovereign. The same proportion
of penalty was provided also FIR entering the state
of holy matrimony, the ''plain gentleman getting
INTO it at the cost of sovereign and the rate raised
with the rank of the nigh contracting party. Pr-
vilege of birth was rated also according to rank
"dukeling paid thirty pounds sterling upor his APP
pearance in tile ancestral bedcHamber, while the
of "plan gentleman" got III f. DouEd. What it
cost 'he co'1mon DeoDle does net appear; but per-
haps they rot IN the small how steals into circus
sometime: "Rai>e the edge Of the tent and slide
inside"
Among taxes once prevailing in England was
one upon postmasters more prolific would
be tax upon candidates for postmaster. See what
an enormous revenue It would ring into the United
States every four years. Thrt t would he paid
readily could be testified by anyone who attend
ed political convention under the system prevail
ing before adoption of the direct primary election
The alacrity with which each prospective nominee
""ug down into his jeans" for something metallic"
to contribute to the campaign ;und at Having his
name presented to the convention for nomination,