PREFACE. THE greater part of this work was completed before the war began. In so far as it is a contribution to economic history, it might well have awaited a more auspicious time for publication; but there is sufficient justification for its appearance now in the fact that the war itself is raising, and will continue to raise, questions relating to national income, property, and wealth, as well as to the distribution of incomes, in which the official statistics play a more or less important part. Any assistance which this book may afford to those who wish to use and interpret these statistics in economic, statistical, or political investigations is accordingly offered without further delay, although leisure has been wanting for elaboration of some of the applications in Part II. on the lines originally planned. The war marks, as definitely as the close of the Napoleonic era, the completion of one economic epoch and the beginning of another, so that a summary of the official record of the past century can hardly be regarded as inopportune at this turning point in our national history. I should not like to miss the opportunity of expressing to Dr. Bowley my appreciation of his kindly interest in this study. My obligations are due to Messrs. S. Minnis and G. T. Nicholls for criticisms on particular points, and especially to Mr. J. W. Mitchell for his patience and helpful suggestion in many discussions, while I owe much to many old friends in various parts of the kingdom, my colleagues in the Inland Revenue Department, who have given me freely of their experience where a collective opinion has been desirable. Mr. E. C. L. White has rendered invaluable assistance with the indexes. I shall be grateful to any reader who draws my attention to any inaccuracies which may be found in the text, the references, or the tables. Several changes introduced in the Budget of September, 1915, while this book was in the press, have been briefly referred to in footnotes. J. C. S. September, 1915. PREFACE. TABLE A2: CLASSIFICATION OF RATEABLE PROPERTY Periodical Re-valuation: Relative Approximation to True Facts in Intervening Years TABLE A4: GROSS ASSESSMENTS-ENGLAND AND WALES, County Details of Gross Assessments TABLE A5: COUNTY FIGUREs for Lands and MessuageS— 49-5I 48 .54-56 (4) Rates on Tithe Rentcharges (3) Ecclesiastical Payments and Repairs of Churches . (5) Public Burdens in Scotland 58 59 59 60 NET ASSESSMENTS, SCH. A: BREAKS IN THE SEQUENCE OWNERSHIP AND DISTRIBUTION OF PROPERTY: The New Domesday Book. Agricultural Returns Corporate ownership. SCH. A STATISTICS: USES IN ECONOMIC LITERATURE MISCELLANEOUS Sources 71 OF INFORMATION OUTSIDE THE |