Scope and Contents

Letter from Sir Patrick Hastings to Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain recalling a scheme he proposed in 1916 for raising money; with notes and copies of correspondence from [Arthur] Rucker, [Principal] Private Secretary to Prime Minster, and [?Christopher] Hankey, [Herbert] Brittain, [Thomas] Padmore, and Sydney Turner of HM Treasury asking if anyone including [1st] Lord Hankey recalls details of the scheme and why it was rejected. [typescript with carbons and manuscript notes].

Scope and Contents

Copy of a letter from WSC (Treasury Chambers) to [4th Lord Salisbury, earlier Lord Cranborne, Lord Privy Seal] in response to [Salisbury's] paper including: discussion of capitalism, the effect of death duties to mitigate against the creation of the "idle rich", and his belief that the rich are already taxed as much as possible.Unsigned typescript.

Scope and Contents Letter from WSC (Chartwell) to Sir Horace Hamilton [Chairman, Board of Customs and Excise] querying figures: reduced revenue from McKenna duties; whether increased consumption and taxation have been accompanied by increased production and depletion of capital reserves; whether levels of saving have been reduced given the rise in unemployment. He concludes by asking Hamilton to forecast figures.Typescript signed with initials annotated by WSC "Sir Warren Fisher [Permanent Secretary, Treasury]...

Scope and Contents Memorandum by Sir Otto Niemeyer [Controller of Finance, Treasury] to WSC, Chancellor of the Exchequer, commenting on the balance sheet: discussing the effct of reductions in fighting services; estimating higher revenues from the Inland Revenue than forecast; and concluding that the balance sheet is likely to be plus £10-15 millions.Annotated "If the Navy is to be given a blank cheque (which is its demand), Britannia rules the waves is about all there will be left to rule."Typescript signed...

Scope and Contents Copy of a letter from the Chancellor of the Exchequer [WSC] to King George V about his budget proposals. He explains that the budget has two main objectives: to provide security for the wage earning population against misfortune and to encourage the "enterprise of the nation" by remission of income taxes; that the 1925 budget is based on tax revenue of £826 million set against expenditure of £799.5 million; proposals to increase estate duty and taxes on luxury goods and to re-introduce the...

Scope and Contents

Copy of a minute from WSC to Sir Richard Hopkins [Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue] asking his "Committee of Five" to consider a revolutionary scheme to separate coprporate and investment income, treat earned income more favourably, and levy income and super tax on investment income by means of a national register. He ends by summarising the advantages of this scheme and discussing the establishment of the register.Carbon typescript.

Scope and Contents Memorandum from WSC to Sir Otto Niemeyer [Controller of Finance, Treasury] seeking advice about the effect of a reduction or increase in income tax on gilt edged government stock, specifically the correspondence between the rise of the stock and reduction in tax; the impact on consumers of raised taxation; consumption as an indicator of prosperity; and National Debt. He concludes "To sum up, a reduction in taxation is the greatest economic service which a state can render to the population...

Scope and Contents

Carbon copy of WSC's proposal for the betting tax.

Scope and Contents Letter from Pembroke Wicks (Conservative and Unionist Central Office, Palace Chambers, Bridge Street, Westminster, [London]) to John Davidson [Parliamentary Secretary, Admiralty] about likely political embarrassment over the Betting Tax, asking him to try and ensure that Sir Horace Hamilton [Chairman, Board of Customs and Excise] has information available for the public, especially that the licenses cannot "operate as a cloak for dishonest bookmakers", and asking for advance copies of the...

Scope and Contents Copy of a letter from Sir Horace Hamilton [Chairman, Board of Customs and Excise] to Sir John Anderson [later 1st Lord Waverley, Permanent Under-Secretary of State, Home Office] about betting duty offences, explaining that WSC would like there to be minimal change in prosecutions and administration of the betting laws following the introduction of the tax, so that cases of illegal betting houses would be prosecuted but government departments will need to work together to establish which...

Scope and Contents Memorandum from WSC to Sir Otto Niemeyer [Controller of Finance, Treasury] marked "Private & Personal To be returned" on subjects including: conversion; the addition of £37 million to the national debt; contrast to the freedom from debt in Germany and France; and WSC's view that the Treasury will be criticised for favouring a 'rentier' class over 'social, moral or manufacturing' interests. He ends by asking Niemeyer to prepare proposals for using forced loans and government bonds as part...

Scope and Contents Copy of a letter from WSC to Stanley Baldwin, Prime Minister, marked "secret and personal" on the need to "dominate events lest we be submerged by them", reflecting on achievements of the government but predicting bleak prospects for the next year as the government has not been successful, his own efforts to reduce expenditure have failed, the Factory and Poor Law Bills and Franchise will not support them, and advising that a constructive measure is needed. He seeks Baldwin's support for...

Scope and Contents Memorandum from WSC to Sir Otto Niemeyer [Controller of Finance, Treasury] on the economic position of Germany and Great Britain and the negative impact of the rigid policy of the Bank of England, high taxation, poor trade and high unemployment. WSC argues that the policy is unsatisfactory on social, industrial and political grounds; that Germany is in a healthier economic state and that the allies may need to reduce the reparations burden on Germany and that misleading conclusions will be...

Scope and Contents

Copy of a minute from WSC to Sir Ernest Gowers [Chairman of the Board of Inland Revenue] on opposition amendments to the Finance Bill, seeking figures to show that the majority of the relief will go to the industries where profits are lowest and unemployment is highest.Carbon typescript. Unsigned.

Scope and Contents

Handwritten note from ?FG to James Grigg [Principal Private Secretary to the Chancellor of the Exchequer] enclosing typewritten figures on indirect taxes and percentages of total tax revenue from 1913/14- proposed figures for 1929/30 with a note on the figures for sugar, tea, cocoa, coffee and matches.Annotated [by WSC] "Keep."

Scope and Contents

Letter from Harold Macmillan [later 1st Lord Stockton] (Chester Square [London]) to [WSC] on WSC's budget which he describes as "an absolutely first-class fighting Budget" and making observations on policies which will support the Conservative election campaign, specifically relief for "publicans and the Bookies", and the removal of tea duty, modernisation and support for industry and the development of markets in the Empire.Signed manuscript.

Scope and Contents Copy of a letter from [Sir] Horace Hamilton [Permanent Secretary, Board of Trade] to [Sir Warren] Fisher [Permanent Secretary, Treasury] about proposals for a development board and for state assistance with trade and industry. He explains that subsidies will not help put British industry on a 'proper economic basis', and would hinder progress, and that the President of the Board of Trade [Sir Philip Cunliffe-Lister, earlier Sir Philip Lloyd-Greame, later Lord Swinton] believes that duties...

Scope and Contents

Letter from WSC (Board of Trade) to Edgar Harper [statistical officer to the London County Council] asking for responses to the argument that the special taxation of fixed charges like ground rents and mining royalties is invidious. Typescript copy.

Scope and Contents

Letter from Edgar Harper [statistical officer of the London County Council] (County Hall, Spring Gardens, [London]) to WSC considering the question of what kind of property should be taxed. Argues in favour of the equal taxation of all forms of land value and against the special taxation of particular forms such as mining royalties and ground rents. Signed typescript.

Scope and Contents Letter from Arthur Witley (13 Westbourne Road, Huddersfield, [Yorkshire]) to WSC (House of Commons) regretting that WSC's recent letter in the Nation "betrays a tendency towards State Socialism". Gives his view of the distinction between a Radical and a Socialist and follows Henry George in advocating a system of taxation which distinguishes between value created by the community and that created by the individual, and the nationalisation of "all natural monopolies" such as transport...

Scope and Contents

Letter from Arthur Witley (13 Westborne Road, Huddersfield, [Yorkshire]) to WSC (House of Commons) advocating the taxation of land values, which he sees as a pre-requisite for Free Trade, and attacking taxation of capital and the earnings derived from it. Describes the good economic effects of the taxation of land values in New Zealand and New South Wales [Australia] and urges the Government to take on the House of Lords by including such taxation in the Budget. Signed typescript.

Scope and Contents

Letter from Ivor Guest [later Lord Ashby St Ledgers and Lord Wimborne (2nd baron, 1st viscount] (Wimborne House, Arlington Street, [London]) to WSC on how the new rates of death duties and their retrospective character will effect him (Guest) personally.

Scope and Contents

Letter from George C West (5 Austin Friars, London) to WSC pointing out that potential mortgagees have been deterred from making advances on land because of the proposal in the Finance Bill to tax land values. Cites the particular case of the Ruthin Castle Estates [Denbighshire, Wales]. Signed and annotated typescript.

Scope and Contents

Letter from Violet, Lady Savile (Rufford Abbey, Ollerton, Nottinghamshire) to WSC enclosing a cartoon criticising the Government's taxation policy [see CHAR 2/39/57] and complaining about the annual taxation of the value of unextracted minerals and declaring that reduced income will force her and 2nd Lord Savile to shut Rufford.

Scope and Contents

Cutting: cartoon of man sitting on empty bed-frame with a long list of taxes and the caption: "An Englishman's home - if this government lasts much longer." Sent with CHAR 2/39/55-56.