Land Problems and National Welfare 



this law merely mulcts the successor, but where 

 there is not wealth it cripples the estate. 



When Sir William Harcourt introduced the 

 death duties he should, in common fairness, 

 have readjusted the succession duties. 



To complete the tale of injustice done to the 

 landowner I must make mention of the perennial 

 grievance of the income tax. The landowner 

 is assessed under Schedule " A,'' and this 

 wrongfully, as even Mr. Lloyd George admitted 

 to the deputation from the Central Land 

 Association. Every landowner who keeps care- 

 ful accounts and is willing to exhibit them 

 should be assessed under Schedule " D," and 

 it is amazing that such a large class should so 

 long have suffered an obvious injustice without 

 energetic protest as have the owners of landed 

 property in England. And, moreover, the 

 more modestly rented the estate the greater is 

 the injustice, which in all probability the land- 

 owners themselves scarcely realise. I cite three 

 examples. 



(a) An estate which under Schedule '* A " 

 shews an income of ^4,500, and which pays 

 tax on that amount, yields in reality to the 

 owner only ^2,500 ; and on this sum he would 

 pay tax if he were assessed under Schedule "D." 



(b) An estate which under Schedule " A " 

 shews an income of ^3,900 would be assessed 

 under Schedule " D " at ^2,000 per annum. 



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