The New York herald., 1922-03-11


more than fiscal glee at its elimina
and expenditures. This represents
merely the imperial revenues, with
out any figure for funds raised
through Sim Fein agencies or with
out reference to local rates and
taxes.
The imperial revenue collected in
Ireland for 1920 was:
Customs ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. - ,6IS 200
Excise ............... -. l5,o3i'UW
Estates. &C.. duties and stamp fees 2,4I6.ooo
Property and income taS.......... loo9o.uvo
Land value duties. es........... o'uvo
Post office, telegraph and telephone 203I,ooo
Miscellaneous. incl. crown lands. loo,ooo
Total .,.............,... .ts- ooo,Vov
This was 4.S5 per cent of the total
revenue of the United Kingdom and
was FIJI lis. Id. a head of the esti-
mated population of Ireland.
Expenditure in Ireland during the
same year Was as follows:
Civil list and miscellaneous. ....... f147, 900
Local taxation, accounts, &C.,. ,ps,ao
Voted ..................... e2S, ,ooJ
Coll ection or taxes and customs. 100
Post office services. ................ 2.9Si 900
Total ..................E2 .E29, ,2.1 900
.Inciuded extraordinary police and mill
tary expense.
In addition to the above the local
taxation in Ireland during 1888
amounted TO e6,S55,056 All of this
was spent for local purposes in add.-
ton to money borrowed and money
granted out of imperial revenues.
Figures for 1921 are not available be-
cause of the refusal of many local
authorities to recognize the British
Local Government Board authorities.
Many of them reported to the Sim
Fein authorities, but the records have
not been assembled.
Relief From Tax Burdens.
AT any rate, Michael Collins and his
fellows in the Provisional Government
are confident that whatever new bur
dens may be imposed upon the nascent
State they will not equal the old bur-
dens OF which that State has been re-
Iieved. For instance, though the new
State assumea share of the British
imperial war debt. Ireland has already
been paying that. She gets rid OF any
contribution to imperial def>nse. II
Irish revenue was divided for imperial
purposes as was British revenue she
will he relieved upon this basis of
some 30 per cent. of her taxes.
Needless to say, this is one of the
arguments which are being quietly
pressed on the stout burghers of Bel
fast to induce them to join fortunes
with the south. 1t will mean tre-
mendous reduction immediately in the
income tax, probably cut from the
80 per cent Britons pay to 10 per cent
The argument cuts both ways. how
ever. Belfast's, contribution to the
Irish revenues bulks large. The
wealth OF the banks in the two parts
Of ireland is a fair index of the pro-
portion of income TAX the northeast
pays and it is far above her proportion
Of 80 per cent. of the population. The
same is true of both excise and Gus
toms, two other large items in the
revenue.
Two changes OF fiscal policy are
| foreshadowed in Dublin these days
and .hey have TO do with the two Sec
9nd largest items in the revenue--cus-
toms and excise. There is much talk
of free trade and much talk of high
/ license or some other means of cutting
down the number of drinking places
and further reducing the total amount
or intoxicants consumed.
Tariff for industry.
Those who advocate a tariff wall
seek protection for infant Irish indus
/ tries. III the south has it's way this
I will be effected Native boot and shoe
/ factories, for instance. cannot at the
moment compete with Northampton.
! Irish woolens will probably need some
\ protection IL the industry lis to acquire
4 tho strength 10 reach out, as II should
! into the foreign field a tax on coal
and fish imports is almost certain.
But there is little chance OF either
other raw materials or the great COM
mo1ities i'm which Belfast does such a
traders business being put without q
tariff wall. 1t is only those things
which Ireland can better produce her
self which the protectionists seek tc
cover, and even then they only seek 4
cover them until they get on their feet
The tradition OF British free trade II
still strong in Ireland. and except ir
special circumstances 1t is not likely (
be shattered.
A reform in the number of drinking
places Is one in which practically
every one In Ireland Is willing 10 join
AS 1t is now. almost any one in Ire
land can sell beers and spirits. There
were in 1920 q. .33S licenses in Ireland
as against 1887 for Scotland anc
1876 for England and Wales. Yet
the net receipts Of duty on these IL
censes was only 1850 for Ireland-a
little over f3 each a year.
The preponderance OF the balance OF
trade In favor of the south affords 2
definite hope for one other phase OF
Treland's future and explains an old
time Irish plaint. u proves that there
Is being created i'm the south every
day new capital for the development
Of the south's resources, and 1t proves
1 that that pa pftal in fhp mast has