The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-08-21
The INCOME TAX.
A Slight Idea Of Those Who
Will Have to Pay Tribute.

Granted that tho income tax bill be-
comes a law, either by the signature of
She President or the 10 days lapse, 1t is in
teresting 10 notice the number OF indi-
+. viduals and corporations In Providence
90 uniucky as TO annually receive profit
OF $1,000 and over and thus come under
1ts proylaions. OF course IL wonld
be impossible TO give complete
list OF those who will be affected by the
4 bill, the collector OF internal revenue will
have trouble enough when he attempts TO
secure II, and the writer of this article
hasn't half the means of getting 1t that
the collector has; but there are few
1gures which can be given that are inter-
esfing.
In the beginning Mr.. Collector will go
90 the city hall and His Honor, Mayor
Oincy, will be in receipt OF visit from
him, for the city manual says His Honor's
salary is 5000 year. So His Honor will
be obliged TO give the collector 500 before
bidding him good-by.
Next Mr.. Collector will step from Hiss
Honor's Office over to see City Treasurer
Granger and ask for $50, the amount due
Oh Mr.. Granger's annual income of $1,000
Mr.. Collector will then go up one flight
30 see City Solicitor Colwell. In Mr.. Coll
WELLS Office he will do sum in arith-
metic, and deduct the salary of the first
assistant city solicitor from $1,000 TO see II
there Is $4,000 or more left for an assess
ment of 2 per cent.
" IL Mr.. Colwell and Mr.. Collector come
to satisfactory conclusion, the next man
TO be visited will be City Engineer Shedd.
After crowding dozen ten dollar bills
into his pocket, Mr.. Collector will leave
A. To ia 10 0r ha
tax scheme, and will summon the elevator
man, not to levy an assessment on him,
for he doesn't earn $1,000 year, but simply
TO get down into the City Hall basement.
There Superintendent of Schools Tarbeh
Will be asked for 2 per cent OF $4,000, and
Commissioner of Public Works Smith for
2 per cent. of 5000.
BY the time that the collector of inter-
nal revenue has left the city hall, it will
probably have been sounded abroad that
the collector OF "infernal revenue" Is about
on his mission of extortion. The begin
ming will be very easy for Mr.. Collector.
He will simply take the published salary
list OF public officials and levy the assess
ment of 2 per cent. on those receiving a
yearly salary OF $4,000 and over. But
what will the ending be? According
to the last statement of the tax assessors
there are over four hundred individuals,
companies and estates, and over one hum
dred corporations taxed for $4,000 or
more. Every man taxed for $4,000 prob
ably receives q sufficiently large income
60 come under the provisions OF the in
come tax bill, and il will be no easy task
10 correctly make out the five or six hun
-dred assessments for just the city OF
Providence, for there are many in receipt |
of good salaries who will be |
caught by the income tax col
lector, who have hitherto escaped the |
regular tax gstherer. President Andrews,
home of the professors, number OF |
clergymen and other professional and |
business men will all contribute TO Uncle |
Sans unjust tax. Everybody, Including |
the butcher, the baker and the candle
stick maker, who scrape together from
any source $4,000 per year will come up to |
the Captains Office and settle on January |
4, 1895.
But there is lots of work ahead for Mr.. |
Collector, just the same.