GENERAL PRINCIPLES 17 



It has been proved over and over again that 

 in taxation regard must be paid to senti- 

 ment, and there is no question that in any 

 reform of local taxation regard must be 

 paid, not only to the real ultimate incidence, 

 but to the apparent incidence and the corre- 

 sponding sentimental disgust. From this 

 point of view, a good deal of irritation 

 would be allayed if the rates, which, as it 

 is, are supposed to be transferred from the 

 occupier to the owner, were actually and 

 directly collected from the owner, or at any 

 rate, were definitely and legally deducted 

 from the rent. The operation of an 

 economic tendency, as will be shown more 

 fully presently, is, in general, not clearly 

 seen or fully understood by the parties most 

 concerned. Economic tendencies, again, are 

 always liable to be counteracted, and this 

 is specially the case in the transference of 

 taxes. And people can see well enough 



B 



