The Landowner 



This was certainly so in my own case. 



My case was undoubtedly an extreme one, 

 as all my income is derived from land ; whereas 

 very often the amount of duty payable on 

 income from agricultural land is confounded 

 with that payable on income from town property 

 or from securities. For the purposes of this tax 

 I was obliged to fill up the schedule in such a 

 manner that I was credited with an income 

 really about three times as large as my net 

 available revenue. This condition of law, which 

 seems to be most unjust, arises from the fact 

 that before Sir William Harcourt's death 

 duties came into force, landed property was 

 less heavily taxed than other forms of property. 

 Succession duty was the only tax payable on 

 land, and landowners often contrived to reduce 

 even this to a minimum ; but the test cases, as 

 a rule, went against them, the judges rightly 

 holding that landowners generally were not un- 

 fairly charged. At that time, therefore, the law 

 relating to succession duties, though severe, 

 was fair. When death duties were imposed, 

 succession duty was at once felt to be more 

 onerous, and was no longer fair. 



As a side issue it seems unreasonable for an 

 estate — especially serious is the case of an 

 impoverished estate — to be more heavily pena- 

 lized when a nephew or cousin succeeds than 

 when a son inherits. Where there is wealth 



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