30 THE MURDER OF AGRICULTURE 

 this falls upon the British tax-payer, that docile, patient, 

 biirden-bearing creature, the British tax-payer, that 

 anomalous production of civilisation, the " tax- and 

 rate-payer." 



This man is a phenomenon ; his hand is constantly in 

 his pocket to pay the piper when he is not permitted to 

 call the tune; to pay for what he has not ordered and 

 does not want. He is always being called upon to " shell 

 out," in consequence of the ineptness of Government 

 administration and the bad trading and reckless extra- 

 vagance of municipal bodies. This product of civilisation 

 is a grumbler yet uncomplaining, he barks but does not 

 bite; he has at times a ferocious aspect, but within he is 

 as harmless as a cooing dove, and, take him all round, 

 he is as good-natured and gullible, and as squeezable as 

 a good "tax- and rate-payer" need be. 



He is, indeed, such an anomaly that in many in- 

 stances he does not really know that what the State 

 spends comes out of his pocket. How often it is said, "Oh, 

 it does not matter, the State will have to shell out," as 

 though the State derived its income from sources alto- 

 gether apart from the direct and indirect taxation of the 

 people. 



Now we all object to taxes in any shape or form, and 

 would gladly rid ourselves of the burden if we could, but 

 however much we may object to them, we all admit that 

 taxation is as necessary in the administration of the 

 affairs of the nation as sunshine is to the growth of 

 flowers. 

 The Patient The patient way in which the British tax-payer has 

 borne the heavy burden of the South African War tax 



