Page 326 - clra62_0019-(GIPE)

318 Ecor _OIC INQVnUES AND STUDIES
3.4 million £ to 13 million £, or 286 per cent.; and
Post Office charges from 3.4 million £ to 17.3 milJion '£.
or over 400 per cent. If the current year were taken
into account these contrasts would be still as marked.
Certain additions have been made to Customs and
Excise, so that they exhibit a larger percentage of in-
crease than was the case a year ago; but income tax
has also been added to, and the comparison shows up
much the same. Leaving aside the Post Office, where
the charges stand by themselves as being largely
charges for services rendered, and not bare taxation,
we may say broadly that, during the last forty years,
income tax and death duties have largely increased in
relative importance among the different branches of
revenue, and Customs and Excise and Stamps have
declined. .
The comparison would be still more significant if we
started from 1871 instead of 1861. Here we find the
contrast in the growth of the branches of revenue men-
tioned to have been as follows:

FIRST GROUP.
Increase.
I 1871. 19/>1. Amount. Per Cent.

Customs I 20.1 26·3 6.2 3 1
Excise. . I 22.8 33. 1 10·3 45
Stamps. 3.6 7.8 4. 2 IJ6
;---------
! 43·5 67. 2 20·7 44
! I

SECOND GROUP.
Income tax . i:~ 2
Death duties . 1__ ;_;_:;. __ 1 __ _ 1 :_::_2 _I __ !_~~ __
Post Office
1
16,5 57.2 4 0 .7 247

Thus, while an addition of about 2 I million £ has