§ MR. CHANNING (Northamptonshire, E)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he will assent to the Motion for a Select Committee to inquire into the Incidence of Taxation standing on this day's Paper.
§ THE PRIME MINISTER AND FIRST LORD OF AND TREASURY (Mr. A. J. BALFOUR, Manchester, E.)I doubt whether any useful purpose would be served by appointing a Select Committee with regard to this matter. It is an extremely complex problem, and I do not think that a Select Committee would advance it further than the learned professors who have already dealt with it have been able to do. It is my personal belief that when a strictly scientific question of this kind has to be investigated the appointment of a Select Committee is an indifferent way of arriving at an agreement.
§ MR. CHANNINGDo I understand the right hon. Gentleman dissents from the proposal to have an inquiry, whether by Select Committee or in any other way? Does he not accept the principle of inquiry?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURIt is not a question of principle but of expediency. So far as I can see, very little would be gained by an inquiry. Nothing would be learned from it except what can now be learned by any patient student of economic theory.
The Motion referred to is as follows:— Incidence of Taxation: That a Select Committee be appointed to consider the relative incidence of Imperial Taxation on the various Classes and Incomes of the Population, and to report what readjustments are possible and advisable, with a view to secure that the contributions of all Classes and Incomes shall be more exactly proportioned to their taxable capacity.