The Monticellonian., 1895-04-26
THE TAX ON INCOMES.

Flvo Per Cent. on Returns.
 WASHINGTON, April Widespread interest exists as to the facts shown by the income tax returns received up to this time at the treasury department So much of an economic interest will be had when these returns are fully in, and they will be of so much value as indicators of the material condition of the whole country, that their publiea- tion will naturally be impatiently looked for. So far, however, only meager information has been received and only the most general statements can be made from the voluntary assess ments now in.
 Commissioner Miller announces that from the figures on hand he is able to estimate that the returns now in will bring in collected tax of $f4, 365, 900. And the commissioner further states this amount is continually rising in all amended reports received from col leetors.
 There are various estimates as to the amount which will be added to this when the income tax collector has made his rounds and all of the delin quents have been enrolled to pay not only the usual per cent. tax, but the penalty of 50 per cent. addition.
 In making public this aggregate amount the commissioner refuses to segregate the assessments into their respective states or districts. He ad- vances several reasons for this. In the first place, the returns which he has so far received from the collectors are necessarily of hurried making, and in many instances incomplete upon their face. Not only would the publication of these amounts, if incorrect, cause confusion, but such publication would be unj just to many states mak- ing poor showing. In fact, the re- turns now in show such marked divi- sions in prosperity throughout the country that it is doubtful if the com missioner will, even in his annual re- port, make a segregated statement, in view of the sectional feeling which would result
 Seetionally, what is known as the old south makes the most pitiful returns. From Maryland to Louisiana the work Of the income-tax collector will be very light And the undoubted improvement which has been going on in this southeastern section for the past fifteen years will have to continue for some years longer before it can make q respectable appearance, in line with the opulent northeast and the tri- umphant west. Yes, triumphant west. For it is from there that the surprises of the income tax returns come.
 All during the arguments which for the past two years have been turning the income tax problem up and down and over the statement has been made and generally agreed to that the east would pay the tax. This is not so.
 The east, it is generally known, will not pay even half of the tax. It will hardly pay third, unless you include in your estimate all of Pennsylvania, Maryland and WestVirginia. The grow ing west, the prosperous west, the vir- ile, bustling, brawny west, is no pauper and is fast taking to itself the riehe $ of the country along with its sunset moving center of population.
 Senator Hill, the most careful and dependable opponent of the tax, and those who took his estimates, used to declare that New York state would pay fully 70 per cent. of the tax. In this the senator was buta poor prophet. New York will not pay 25 per cent. of the income tax unless the forced col lections should greatly change the ratio shown by the voluntary assess ments now in. In fact with the figures now in hand the returns of New York and New England together do not far overreach the 25 per cent. mark. In nearly every instance the western states have overreached the estimate which the commissioner placed upon them. For instance, it was thought after the supreme court had pruned down the law, that the state of Texas would contribute revenue amounting to about Sl00, 000 From the voluntary assessments now in, Texas promises to pay more than s14o,o or about per , cent. of the whole tax.
 Western cities, like St. Louis and Chi cago, make splendid showings of pros. perity, and states like Iowa, Illinois Missouri, Texas and California bring up the returns from the prosperous west amazingly.
 From the city of St. Louis alone comes more than S5o0, 900, and the re- turns from the rest of the state run this up to about $500, 900.
 While Ohio is not generally looked upon as differing in character from In. diana and Kentucky, yet it's city oi Cincinnati and it's many manufacturing towns place it far ahead in the returns received as compared with the other states mentioned.
 After New York comes easily rich , Pennsylvania. This big commonwealth will give in tax upon it's wealth that will surprise even well-posted economists. And it moreover con tains some startling examples oi . money centralization. One of its corpo- rations alone, the Pennsylvania Rail road Co.,, in its last sworn statement showed that during the past year ii , had paid over Sl5, ,000, 900 in interest [ and had profit income of over S7, 225, , 900 remaining. The income tax on this one Pennsylvania corporation alone will be as much as that paid by the whole state of Texas.
 The officers have many methods ot , checking the returns, and many sources of information which vii verify or dlsprove the returns made For instance, the statements of theil , condition which all national bank. make to the comptroller of the cur rency from time to time durinp tho