BRITISH LUXURY TAX

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 39, 9 November 1918, Page 3

BRITISH LUXURY TAX

A JUSTING REPORT.- /•' j Instances of the politician as jestei i will bo readily remembered, but the jesk j ing has usually been confined to speeches. ' In a recent English case line been found i in a Government White Paper published ; in all seriousness the Luxury Tax report. ' Mr. Robert Harcourt, a member of the ' Select Committee, has provided a draft i report of his own. Among his points ' are:— \

Apropos the resignations from the Committee: Perchance years hence the child of tho posters may. at Inst demand, "Daddy, what did you do on the Great Committee?" Proudly then can most of us reply, "I remained a member of it." ' There must be more in the proposal than some of us thought. There may be Tariff Reform in it, which, strictly sneaking is not our business, but we should hate not to havo 6aid if first. There is a tidy bit of money in it, and wo think it will be tolerable to the plain, man, and oven to the pretty woman. But it must Ire handled in the epirit of a charming' lady who pins a flag on. you whether you like it or not. and not of the gentleman who has called again about tho rates. Wo are painfully conscious that we have made no attempt to disentangle the fashionable element of so much as a camisole. Are we to exempt Boyle, Burke, and Bradshaw because they are indubitably bcoks? Let us, in the spirit of Dr. Johnson, invite our readers to take a walk down. Bond Street. We have just taxed the man who has out of 6inall means, and after anxious thought, spent half a guinea on an autotype of an old master. Shall we, wjth this act on our : consciences, pass .by Aunt Maria who spends ten times the amount without a tithe of the trouble in sending a rather silly gift to Charles on marrying a lady of title or attaining the rank of private secretary? No, the inclusion of this nrticlo is clearly demanded if tho scales of justice are to be even. Pyjamas are of more use to the Chancellor, than white waistcoats, umbrellas are more prolific than parasols. To tho consumer we say, "Be a sport about it." "If it is unpopular it will die young, anyway. Wo eay, "If you are Webb, tax Jlappin, and if you are Mappin tax Webb." The adoption of the report was voted upon and defeated by Bto 2—the two ' being Mr. Kiley, M.P. for and Mr. Harcourt himself.