Elements of Indian Taxation

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ELEMENTS OF INDIAN TAXATION ELEMENTS OF THE THEORY OF TAXATION WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO INQiAN BY LEONARD ALSTON, OF NON-COLLEGIATE STUDENTS IN ECONOMICS AND HISTORY, CAMBRIDGE FORMERLY 1904-5 TEMPORARY PROFESSOR AT ELPHINSTONE COLLEGE, BOMBAY AUTHOR OF CONSTITUTIONS IN OUTLINE, EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP IN INDIA, STOIC AND CHRISTIAN IN THE SECOND CENTURY, ETC. MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED ST. MARTINS STREET, LONDON 1910 RICHARD CLAY AND SONS, LIMITED BKEAD STREET HILL, K. C., AND HUNGAY, SUFFOLK. PREFACE THIS little book owes its appearance to the somewhat accidental circumstance that during the last few years special causes have compelled me to read a good deal of controversial literature, mostly of a journalistic kind, dealing with Indian administrative matters, and apparently widely read by the educated public of India. This literature I have found full of criticisms, often very pungently and eloquently expressed, of the methods of taxation adopted by the Government of India. But nearly the whole of it is characterised by a strange lack of perspective. Speakers and writers seldom see Indian financial conditions steadily, or see them whole. They content themselves with attacks on isolated parts of vi PREFACE the tax-system, without clearly realising that it is impossible to criticise the parts sati factorily, except in relation to the system considered as a unity. Thus their well-meant efforts appear both to administrators and to political economists almost invariably misdirected, and their work has borne little fruit. The British Government, both in the United Kingdom and in India, has accepted very unreservedly the principle of taking the public into partnership in all matters affecting taxation and general administration, and, compared with most European Governments, is peculiarly responsive to reasonable criticisms. Few readers of the political literature above referred to seem aware of the existence of the vast masses of statistical information, official reports of governmental departments and royal commissions, and so forth, which are perpetually being poured forth by the labours of the permanent civil service. These official publications parliamentary papers and blue books are specially intended to supply information that will assist Cabinet and Parliament in the work of legislation and at the same time enable the intelligent sections of the public to criticise effectually the activities of the State. They form the raw material on which both statesmen and economists must work in order to work to any purpose. Many of them relate to conditions in India and are procurable at very low prices as the Government is always desirous of having its work subjected to as much fair-minded, intelligent criticism as is available. Among those publications most suitable to enable the ordinary reader to check the sort of information contained in this volume are the following Statistical Abstract relating to British India Annual price, about Is. 3d.. Statement exhibiting the Moral and Material Progress and Condition of India Annual price, about Is, 2d. Memorandum on some of the results of Indian Administration during the past fifty years. Of these, the first is composed of masses of figures and is intended to be used as a work of reference. The other two are straight forward, simply written reports, dealing with such matters as Legislation, Justice and Police, Finance, Manufactures and Trade, Progress of Education and Literature, Migration and Emigration, changes in prices, wages, etc. For comparative purposes the following will be found useful Statistical Abstract for the United Kingdom Annual about Is. 8cL. Statistical abstract for the British Colonies, Possessions and Protectorates Annual about Is. lid.. Statistical Abstract for Foreign Countries Annual about Is. 6d....