"THE PRICE OF SURVIVAL"
SIR,—Mr. Hughes, quoting my plea for the grant of ros. each for the third and fourth children only, rejoins that a parent of three children whose income reaches a ras. a week is already receiving by relief of income-tax an allowance of los. a week. Yes, indeed, but as a parent of two gets as much, the parent of three is getting nothing at all for his third child. To get 95. 7d. (the maximum) for the third child one has to have no less than £505 p.a.; with income-tax at 6s. the maximum would be 5s. 9d., and that would be only obtainable, if other reliefs were at peace-time levels by incomes of more than about k600. Whatever income one takes the relief for the third (or fourth) child is so small in relation to it, as to be unlikely to affect the parent who feels he cannot afford another child.
Mr. Hughes tells us that these allowances cost the taxpayer k8o,000,000 in 1941-2. I say that it is shocking that so much money should be dis- bursed and yet be applied in such a way that it is not likely to have any effect whatever on reproduction. And my fear is that our legislators, for lack of attention to the population question, will proceed to disburse still larger sums with equally little effect.—I am, &c., R. F. HARROD.
Previous page
