The house of Industry : a new estate of the realm

32 THE HOUSE OF INDUSTRY

instinct of distrust of taxation would speedily evaporate.

Suppose that we regarded taxation precisely as we regarded rent. (Indeed, theoretically, they are not wide apart.) Then let us next suppose that some large trading corporation were to call their employees together and inform them that as from the first of the month they proposed to spread their rent charges over their whole staff, proportionately to salaries and wages. The hullaballoo that would follow! The Directors would be told to charge their rent to overhead account (as is now done) and for the rest, charge it to cost (as is now done) and so take it out of the customers or consumers. In other words—rent is included in the cost of production. And with the increase of production, rent being a fixed charge, there would, pro vata, be a decrease in the amount of rent debited to each article produced. This reminds us that a certain proportion of taxation is similarly charged—with a bit over for luck. The question is why should not all taxation be included in working costs and so finally enter into a national total turnover? Drawing a bow ata venture (for I have no means of correctly estmating the total figures) I shall be near the mark in stating that the Budget of £800,000,000 would represent a decimal of one per cent. of our national turnover.

A saving clause must be inserted here relating to unearned incomes. They, too, must pay their quota. Itis certainly not impossible to deduct the