GREAT BRITAIN'S RICHEST MEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14355, 27 October 1908, Page 10

GREAT BRITAIN'S RICHEST MEN.

TWENTY INCOMES OF OYER £50,000 \ YEAR, The report of the British Inland Revenue Ccmniissionors for the year ending March 31 last—.in which the lower tax on earned incomes blew £2000 pr annum came into force-shows that the'ineome fax yielded £31,660,380, a decrease of £31,569 on 1906-7. In 1906-7 (the latest year foi' which detailed figures are available) tharo were 20 persons in the Kingdom whoso incomes wore assessed at over £50,000. Their total income was £1,7t9,723. The number of incomes, assessed at below £50,000 were-.— Income. Persons. £10,000—£50,000 241 6.000- 10,000 517 4,1)30- 5,000 122 3,000- 4.000 i ... 581 2,000- 3,000 1539 1,000- 2,000 6155 160- 1,000 241,440 . These figures exclude employees, whose incomes are classified as follows':--Income. Permits. Over £4.000 273 £3,000-£4.000 ",'„ 255 2.000- 3,000 705 1,000- 2,000 5 256 _ 160- I.'OOO 342JH It is explained that these figures do not necessarily represent the total imomes from all sources, as two-thirds of the tax is collected indirectly. Tlie gras income brought under ihe review o. the commissioners was £843,702,014 of which £640,043,238 paid tux. . The £943,702,014 was made up as follows--fifiwSi: of lnmb a,,tl ho,,Ms ' Occupation of lands, £17,436.832. UvsrnniDirt securities, British and "reign, £46.722,274. a " CI Businesses and professions', £518.659,623. £97 , 131541 1,, d ' nib ' il; Col " pnny oflida!s ' i In 10 years the income from tho ownersnip of lands and. houses has increased by 21.8 per cent., though lands alone showed a decrease of 3.4 per cent, Profits from British and foreign Government securities increased 21 per cc .„t. in the same period, and profits from businesses and professions 29 per cent,, while salaries ot Government corporation and public company officials increased 62.4 percent. The conversion of private concerns into public, companies, however, tends to raise the last figure. During the year ending 31st March last tho value of all the property passing at death was £315,697,079. the total includes two estate? of over £3,000.000, one between £2,000.000 and £2,500,000 and four between £1.000.000 and £1,500.000. The beer retained for home consumption was 33,850,186 barrels, equal to 27.63 gallons per head of the. population. In 1889-1900 the quantity was equal to 32.29 galloiß a bead, the figure, having shown a continuous decline. ■ The number of proof ualloiis of homemade spirits retained for home consumption was 32.506,945, equal lo .74 gallon iter head. Colonial and foreign spirits imported for home consumption amounted to 7.153,700 proof gallons, equal to .15 srallon per head. I'he consumption of British and foreign spirits, equal to .90 gallon per luwl for the year, has shown a continuous decline since" 1889-1900, when tlic figure was 1.18 gallon. The number of breweries, which in ; 1897-1898 was 7530, was 10 years later 4808. | During the year there were 1025 cases of illicit, distilling discovered in Ireland. In England there were three cases, and , in Scotland one.