THE BUDGET AND EQUALITY OF SACRIFICE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3161, 13 August 1917, Page 6

THE BUDGET AND EQUALITY OF SACRIFICE

Sir,—As the parent of a large familyfive of Ttem sons, who, if tho war continues much longer, may all be called upon to figlil for their country—allow me to j?ive expression to my feelings on the subject of equality of sacrifice. My own case is but one of thousands situated m approximately similar circumstances (some of them less, some of them more favourably circumstanced). I have expended all that I have earned during the past twenty years (approximately .£11,000) in bringing up and educating my family. With a household of nine to flrelve to provide for during almost the whole of the period in question, I lmve not been able to save a penny for Hie inevitable'rainy day. My one hope was that my family, who have received, or are receiving, the benefits of the bc. ; t education I can afford, would make provision for my old let me come eventually upon what is known as tlie old-age pension. Now, the Stnto comes along, and ammandeers the lives of my bovs of n ilitiiiy ago (I do not. complain of .that), but It treats them in the most penurious, way, and, should they fall in kittle, it jirovides no compensation whatever to me Tor my loss! Nay, more, that-the State calmly and coolly allows exploiter's to manipulate tlio "cost of living" to such on extent- that it entails an increase of .expenditure of nearly «£l5O a year to maintain' those members of my family who (by reason of age or <ex) are rot cTfjibic for military service! Wore it not that eome of my hoys are engaged in military service the "maintenance" of the homo would entail an expenditure of i£2oo a year more than before the war! . . Now, what I complain of is that thousands of bachelors and married men with no family, and with the same annual; income as I, are not called upon to pay a copper more than I nay in the shape of taxation! That is what cur great financiers call "equality of sacrifice" and a "square deal"! Had I refused to keep my cradle full during the pnsl: twenty years, I might easily have saved from ,£BOOO to ,£IO,OOO, which, if invested in the present War Loan, would bring me an annual income of from .£SOO to .8600 (free of income tax)!

Sucli is (so far as I can see) the way in which the father and the family—the backbone of a nation—are dealt vith by the Budget. That the whole thing is incredibly -unjust and unreasonable cannot be U make bold to say) disputed. The lives and the homes of the citizens are fair game for exploitation, while seW-hly-acquired wealth is, practically, provided with a bomb-proof dug-out.

Our boys, too, who have returned from the front maimed for life, have been too often cruelly treated. I know of men who have returned minus a les, and who aro compensated by their generous country (this Dominion) by a paltry 255. a week for life! Surely it is time that Parliament did seriously deal with the question of "equality of sacrifice"—and no longer play with it by treating lives ns mere pawns. Justice and honesty demand that much.—l am, etc., FATHER OP NINE. P. B.—l have no objection, to your furnishing my name and address to Jlinis!ai'3 of the Crown.—F.O.N.