Letter from Auberon Kennard, Rookcliff, Lymington, to John H. Oglander, Esq., his father in law

Description: "My dear Squire, Joan, I think, has given you the name of my branch of Parr's Bank, i.e. St. Martin's Lane in Trafalgar Square. It was good of you to think of advancing the payment of the first quarters allowance, but the advance makes no difference to my financial position. The only point that affects me is that I only receive £300 during the year 1904 instead of £400. However, we need not discuss that further. I cannot deny that your proposal to charge the allowance with income-tax before paying it over is a most unpleasant surprise to me. I duly appreciate your offer to make Joan a present of the first quarter's tax, but I cannot say it is pleasant to receive as a gift, what we had expected to receive as a matter of business. So far from being usual I am told on the best possible authority - not any relation of mine - that it is not the usual practice for a father to charge a child's allowance with income tax, although I am equally well aware that it is within his legal rights to do so. But if all legal rights were rigidly insisted on between friends, not to say relations, friendship would rapidly become extinct. I sincerely hope that our friendship may never come under that category. Therefore, as I understand from your letter that your decision to deduct the income tax was only come to in consequence of your having been informed that this was the usual course, I hope you will accept my usual assurance that it is not so, or at all events take further opinions on the subject, such as may make it worthwhile to reconsider your decision. It is very painful for me to have to raise an unpleasant discussion over such a small sum, but our means are so small already, that I am sure you will understand my not viewing with equanimity the very unexpected prospect of a further diminution of them." (103/142)

Date: 22/03/1904

Last import: September 11, 2017