CUSTOMS TAXATION.

Evening Star, Issue 17192, 6 November 1919, Page 9

CUSTOMS TAXATION.

TO THE EDITOH. vr V"m i, rec ent issue of your paper wV*' , T - E van * says "Thanks to the .National Government the Customs Tariff now amounts to more than £4,000,000." It would be interesting to know thp source irom wnioh this amount is derived. I have the last year book, and the latest figure given (for 1918) is £3,601,333. Conceding the point, however, as it is possible Mr Evans is correct for all I know. It is more to the point to take the figures for the ri£7 y l ars !t P er llead of Population. In 1913, when there was no National Government, the Customs taxation per head Wa f it ld; . ln f 917 il SS Is 3d, and had the ratio- obtaining in 1895 (when the Seddon Ministry was in power) remained unaltered it would have amounted to £4 16s 4d Mr Evans is much concerned as to the Land Tax. It is he >nv-j a paltry £1,500,000. Well, the amount was still more paltry in 1913, bein«- onlv £728,636. I submit the following fW,e S as a much fairer interpretation Si" our system of taxation than the restricted figures seized as a text by Mr Evans to justify abuse of the National Government : 1913.—Customs, £3,531,761; Land Tax £728,636; Income Tax, £462,994; death duties, £458,265; other taxes £425,173' total, £5,606,829. a 1918.—Customs, £3,601,383; Land Tax £1,385,708; Income Tax, £619,561; death duties," £805,511; other taxes, £928,960total, £12,340,853.-1 am, etc., Lynx. November 3.