TAXED PROFITS AND WAGES CONTRASTED

The Wage Index Numbers are those of the Board of Trade (Cd. 4954). The Profit Index Numbers are based upon the Inland Revenue Assessments. The Financial Year 1893-4 is taken to correspond with the Calendar Year 1893.

Note.—The wages and profits of 1900 are represented by 100. The wages and profits of the other years are expressed as percentages of those of 1900.

YEARPROFITS.WAGES.
A.B.C.D.E.
Gross Assessments to Income Tax.Probable Number of Income Tax Payers.Average Gross Income of Tax Payers.Index No. of Incomes. 1900=100Wages Index No. 1900=100.
£Number.£Per Cent.Per Cent.
1893674,000,000950,00070986.890.1
1894657,000,000960,00068483.889.5
1895678,000,000970,00069885.589.1
1896705,000,000980,00071988.189.9
1897734,000,000990,00074190.890.8
1898763,000,0001,000,00076393.593.2
1899792,000,0001,010,00078496.095.4
1900833,000,0001,020,000816100.0100.0
1901867,000,0001,030,000841103.099.0
1902880,000,0001,040,000846103.697.8
1903903,000,0001,050,000860105.397.2
1904912,000,0001,060,000860105.396.7
1905925,000,0001,070,000864105.897.0
1906944,000,0001,080,000874107.198.3
1907980,000,0001,090,000899110.1101.7
19081,010,000,0001,100,000918112.5101.0
Increase
1893-1908
49.8
Per Cent
15.7
Per Cent
29.5
Per Cent
29.5
Per Cent
12.0
Per Cent
Increase
1900-1908
21.2
Per Cent
7.8
Per Cent
12.5
Per Cent
12.5
Per Cent
1.0
Per Cent

PROFITS AND WAGES, 1893-1908
(see Table on p. 112).

Thus in recent years the proportion of the national income taken by labour made no gain upon the proportion taken by capital. On the contrary, labour took a diminished share of the increased product.

Since the Boer War labour has barely retained the increase which it obtained between 1894 and 1900.

The seriousness of the position is increased by the great rise in the cost of living, as the following figures testify: