Among the various efforts which have been made to discredit
the Government, none has been more determined than the dead set made at the Chancellor of the Exchequer's very " innocent" little Inland Revenue Bill. The object of this Bill has been represented as if it were one of mere centralisation. Now, centralisation is a very bad thing when it removes to the centre functions which can only be performed effectually in the locality whose life is affected by any operation (financial or otherwise). Bat the only object of the Inland Revenue Bill was not one of centralisation. The Local Commissioners and the Special Com- missioners of Appeal, who determine the assessment of Income- tax under Schedules D and E, were not affected at all by the Bill, the only object of which was, as the local " assessors " retire, to fill up their places by the Surveyors of Taxes who can do the work,—in great part clerical,—which these local assessors do, at much less cost and with more unity of method. The reform is one which is greatly desired by those who know the operation of the present system best, and which is opposed and deprecated chiefly by those who would lose local "patronage" by having no longer local subordinates to appoint. Mr. Goechen received a deputation on the subject on Wednesday, and in his very courteous and lucid reply to the deputation, exposed the gross misrepresentations which had been put forward very effectually, though in the serenest manner. However, at this period of the Session, amongst the " innocents," this innocentest of the innocents is not destined to be spared the sacrificial knife.
Previous page
