A New Magna Charta

( Originally Published 1920 )

SIR, Dean Inge, in his fearless, clear, and unmatchable diagnosis, has touched one of the weakest spots in the present-day life of the world. Here in Great Britain we must seriously recognise that our country is overloaded with debt, and like a private individual or a firm, we must strive hard and ceaselessly to reduce our indebtedness.

We need a new Magna Charta setting out that every business department of the State must be made to pay its way and show a profit. The Post Office, with the telegraph and telephone services, ought to make a good profit, and so ought the coal mines and the railways. No subsidies should be paid to them by the State. Municipal tramways, gas works, electrical undertakings all should make a profit ; on no account should they become a charge on the rates. In short, all subsidies from the Imperial Exchequer and the public rates should be done away with. There are certain administrative departments which are the " trade expenses " of the nation, and in these there must be drastic retrenchment if the nation is to get a good balance-sheet.

In the matter of education, it would be far better if the parents, according to their means, had to pay for their children's schooling. Free education should be abolished now that working men are earning more than the so-called middle classes. A man earning £3 per week should pay 3d. f or each child ; if earning £4, then 4d. for each child ; if earning £5, at least 5d. per week for each child ; if £300 per year it would be 6d. per child per week. No one getting £350 per year should be allowed to send his child to an elementary school. Half the education of the country should be paid by the parents of the 6,000,000 school-children, and the other half could be provided by the State. It is quite certain that the new Fisher Education Act, if enforced in its entirety, will be a huge burden too heavy for the nation to carry. Income-tax should be paid honestly and fairly by every one at its source. Weekly wage-earners should pay by income-tax stamps obtainable at any post office. Monthly salaries should be treated in the same way. Each man or woman, whatever his or her position, should have a deduction made of, say, 21 per cent. (or 6d. in the pound) when wages or salaries are paid.

The transcending question of the day is, " How can we pay our way ? "—Yours faithfully,

A CITY MAN.