LOCAL COLLECTION OF LICENCES 141 



tainted with sectarian animosity. The mere introduction 

 of this Bill and Mr. McKenna's statement were, however, 

 acknowledgments by the Government that the demands of 

 the Chamber were just. 



On 18th February Mr. A. F. Hedges (Liberal Member for 

 Tollbridge and a member of the Chamber) moved the following 

 resolution : 



" That in the opinion of this House, the present system of 

 local taxation and the relations between local and Imperial 

 burdens demand the immediate attention of His Majesty's Govern- 

 ment, with a view to a more equitable adjustment as between 

 local and Imperial obligations." 



Another Liberal, Mr. Rogers, seconded, and after a useful 

 debate, in the course of which Mr. Asquith made an important 

 speech accepting the motion, and expressing general agree- 

 ment with the views advocated by the Chamber, the resolu- 

 tion was agreed to by the House without a division. 



The Finance Act of this year (Section 6) imposed 011 

 County Councils the duty of collecting the proceeds of Local 

 Taxation Licences, and although the County Councils' Asso- 

 ciation made it perfectly clear to the Chancellor of the 

 Exchequer that such an amount was inadequate to cover the 

 expenses of local authorities in this connection, he only pro- 

 vided 40,000 for that purpose. 



As the political horizon appeared very unsettled, and the 

 possibility of a General Election not remote, the Chamber 

 prepared its Parliamentary Programme, and that part of it 

 referring to local taxation was as follows : 



(1) (a) In your opinion should the cost of any of the following 

 national services be removed entirely from the shoulders of the 

 ratepayers, and, if so, which t 



Police and Police Stations. 

 Lunatics and Lunatic Asylums. 

 Roads arid Bridges. 



(b) Are you prepared to back your opinion by your vote and 

 voice in the House of Commons in the present session ? 



(2) Failing a reply to the first question in the affirmative, are 

 you in favour of the cost of the Police being met more largely 

 out of the National Exchequer than is now the case ; and, if so, 

 to what extent ? 



