The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-05-21
MR.. HERRING is PLEASED
Glad the Income Tax Law Has Been
Declared Unconstitutional.
1T WAS SlNGULARLY UNJUST
by Its Provisions the Worry Rich Escaped
Taxation-W. J. Burke viii Find His
Occupation Conc In Consequence
Of the Courts Decision.

There Is no one In the city by whom
the decision Of the United States SUI
preme court declaring the income tax
law unconstitutional, was received with
more delight than Revenue Collector
Grant Herring. He has been working
day and night. getting his reports In
shape for transmission to Washington
for revision and approval, and had the
work practically completed when he re-
celved the following telegram from the
partment yesterday:
Washington, d. c., May 20.
Collector Herring. Scranton. Pa:
Income tax law declared unconstitu-
tional by supreme court. Stop all work
in connection Herewith and send to
this office at once, under SEAL all books,
assessment lists, returns and records in
your office, or in the hands of your
deputies, relating to the income tax.
Joseph s. Miller,
Commissioner.
Immediately upon receipt of the tele-
gram Mr.. Herring directed his deputies
to get the returns, records, and 50 forth,
in shape for shipment to Washington,
and before the closing of the office three
large packages of returns were pre-
pared, sealed and directed. They will
.pday be forwarded to Washington. The
decision of the supreme court was
hailed with delight by every one con-
nected with the revenue department ex-
cept w. j. Burke. the income tax dep
uty. The action Of the court will leave
him outside the breastwork.
His Occupation Conc.
When Mr.. Herring became revenue
collector he appointed Mr.. Burke gen.
eral gauger for the district at salary
of 81, 200 a year Mr. Burke served in
that capacity until last January, when
he was promoted to the position Of in
come tax deputy. with saiary of 81, 500
per year. In February he entered on
the duties of the new position and has
since devoted himself to gathering re-
turns and compiling figures with regard
to the income tax. His position as
gauger was filled by the appointment
OF an ex-sheriff of Columbia county
who now fills the position. Mr.. Her
ring said last night that the knocking
out of the income tax would leave Mr.
Burke without position in the revenue
department, as there is no other place
open for him now. He will be employed
for the remainder of this month wind
ing up the business of his department.
II wanted to see the supreme court
declare the income tax demonstrations
al" said Mr.. Herring last night, land
am glad it has done so. 1t was unjust
in that the very rich escaped taxation
and then again that inquisitorial fea-
ture was most obnoxious, most un-
American. There was the inqusitior
chair" remarked the collector pointing
to a cane-bottomed chair close to his
desk. That's where l seated my vic
tins while l piled them with all kinds
of impertinent questions.
Had to Do His Duty.
at was to me a distressing occupa
ton, and 1 tried to be as lenient and
gentlemanly as could, but, of course
certain questions had to be asked, and
while they sometimes amazed those tC
| whom they were put, they usually had
the good sense to understand that
was compelled to take the course l did
in the performance of my sworn duty
1T is a somewhat curious coinci-
dence that while we sent out 1900
blanks, the returns show that just goo
of those to whom they were sent would
have had to pay tax under the decision
of the supreme court handed down sew
eral weeks ago. In the mutilated con-
dition in which that decision left the
act, about s175,000 in income tax would
have been collected in this district. If
the original act had been declared legal
as 1t became a law, the government
would have been enriched S250,0O0 by
the tax from this district.
"The tremendous amount of work
that income tax business entailed fell
to a great extent upon myself and
deputies. for which I will not receive a
cent. Mr.. Burke's salary was paid by
a special appropriation made by the
government, but it did not extend Sc
far as to pay for the extra work of the
other revenue employees. We have
been working here every night since
hast February, and for this work 1 will
have to pay The expense to the gov
ernment in this district, entailed by the
act Just declared unconstitutional, will
not exceed $500, but it will cost me be-
tween 500 and $500, not to speak of the
amount of time and labor / have given
| to 1t.
Wrote Two Thousand Letters.
"I personally examined every one OF
| the 1900 returns received from this
district, and in connection with the re-
ceiving and correction of them, wrote
about 1000 letters. Although our la
bors were practically completed. l am
glad the act Is no more. A number OF
our lists are now in Washington fol
approval, and as soon as they were re.
turned we would be ready to begin the
collection of the tax. From time to time
during the last six weeks we received
checks for the tax from persons
throughout the district, but returned
them with the Information that We
were not yet ready to receive 1t. We
have, therefore, no money now on hand
| to be returned to taxpayers.
1T was not just tax, for the very
rich escaped. Those on whom it fell
| were banks, corporations generally
other than railroad companies, mer
chants, professional men and those In
moderate circumstances. In this re-
spect 1t was singularly unfair, but
| there will soon be nothing left here tt
remind us of 1t. May we never see an
other law like II. Every paper con
-