170 THE MURDER OF AGRICULTURE 



" The income-tax is really a twofold tax; it is a tax 

 on property and a tax on earnings. I start with the propo- 

 sition, and a most important proposition it is, that it 

 must now be regarded as an integral and permanent part 

 of our financial system." 



Good! The tax-payers are, we have no doubt, quite as 

 ready to accept this view as Mr Asquith is to propound 

 it, but they have a perfect right to demand, at the same 

 time, that the present Chancellor of the Exchequer and 

 his successors should conduct this exceedingly difficult 

 and delicate business of taxing a people with great 

 circumspection and with every regard to their inte- 

 rests, otherwise a cruel wrong will be done to them. 



Let us glance for a moment into the Chancellor of the 

 Exchequer's other sources of direct taxation to see what 

 he takes from the pockets of the British tax- and rate- 

 payers. 



Income-tax accounts for £32,000,000 



Poor-rates account for ^^35, 000, 000 



Death Duties account for £14,000,000 



House Duty and Land Tax £2,600,000 



Total £83,600,000 

 It stands to reason that if this huge sum is demanded 

 each year from the British tax-paying public, a sum 

 representing three-fifths of the entire revenue of the 

 Kingdom, those who " pay the piper should be allowed 

 to call the tune," but nothing of the kind is permitted. 

 Much of this money is squandered, not spent, and yet 

 more and more is demanded each vear. 



