Mr, RJ. Nicholson, senior lecturer in economic statistics at Hull University, has made a study of pre-tax incomes and cemes to conclusions that broadly eonfirm Prof. Titmus's arguments against the alleged trends towards equality. Even allowing for the dubious claim about the trends before 1957 Mr. Nicholson says that since that year the trend has been towards greater inequality. He states that between 1949 and 1957 the lewer the income the greater the rate of increase. However between 1957 and 1959 the lowest pre-tax incomes has the least rate of growth, since then the rates of growth have remained more or less the same.
What has to be remembered, however, is that since the reduction in direct-tax rates since 1960-61 there has been a relative improvement in the he income brackets position. Therefore even on the faulty statistics that are at present available it is ouite clear that there has been no real re-distribution of wealth in Britain, rather the trend has been the other way. ANNOUNCEMENT