The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-04-27
THE TAX ON INCOMES.

Cent. OF the Tax, Shows About twenty
Five Per Cent. oil Returns.
WASHINGTON, April 22.-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 ar 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 publica-
ton 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 that
from the figures on hand he is able to
estimate that the returns now in will
bring in a collected tan of S14, S65, 900.
And the commissioner further states
this amount is continually rising in
all amended reports received from col
l~ectors.
There are various estimates as to the
mount which will be added to this
when the income tax collector has
made his rounds and all of the delin-
quents nave been enrolled to pay not
only the usual 2-per cent. tax. but the
penalty of so per cent. addition.
In making public this aggregate
mount the commissioner refuses to
segregate the assessments into their
respective states or districts. He adj
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 a publication
would be unjust to many states max
ing a 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 4 segregated statement, in
view of the sectional feeling which
would result.
S~ectionally, 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 gong on
in this southeastern section for the
past fifteen years will have to continue
for some years longer before it can
make a respectable appearance, in line
with the opulent northeast n 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 sc.
The east, it is generally known, will
not pay even half of the tax. 1t will
hardly pay a third, unless You include
in your estimate all of Pennsylvania,
Maryland and WestVirginia. The grow
ing west, the prosperous west, the vir-
lie, bustling, brawny west. is no pauper
and is fast taking to itself the riches
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 20 per cent. of the tax. In
this the senator was buta poor prophet.
New York will not pay % 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 - 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 500, 600. From the voluntary
assessments now in, Texas promises to
pay more than S14O, 900 or about l 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 $500, 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 its city of
Cincinnati and its 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 a tax upon its wealth
that will surprise e well-posted
economists. And it moreover con-
tains some startling examples of
money Capitalization. One of its corpo-
~rations alone, the Pennsylvania Rail-
road Co., in it's last sworn statement,
showed that during the past year it
had paid over S15, 900, 900 in interest
and had a profit income of over 1920
600 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 of
I-l- H.