The Daily Express of Tuesday said that there is much
indignation in the Channel Islands at the request of the British Government - that Jersey shall contribute £325,000 a year to Imperial taxation . and Guernsey _1275,000. A Committee of the Privy. Council, consisting of the Duke of Atholl, General Seely, Sir Henry Craik and Mr. William Graham, will visit the Islands from -October 17th to October 20th to investigate the. matter. A leading Jersey man is quoted as saying, " It would ruin us. We shall never pay it." While Great Britain pays £17 a head in taxes Jersey pays £8 8s. and Guernsey £3 7s. The Channel Islands are, of course, free of British Income Tax. Yet the Islands receive Imperial pro- tection, diplomatic and consular and many other services. Excisable articles such as wine; spirits and tobacco are all much cheaper than here. Guernsey has offered to pay a lump sum of £225,000 but has received no reply. A Jersey Committee reported in favour of paying £250,000 spread over five years. But the States rejected the proposal. Visitors to the Channel Islands know very well that their loyalty to Great Britain is intense. Sentiment continually tends to become more British and less French. We may expect, therefore, that the Channel Islands will in the end pay a reasonable sum for what they highly value.
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