The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-14
Work for the Flyinq SQUAD,

That flying squad" of the Treasury Depart.
ment which is to be the eyes and ears of the Com.
missioner of Internal Revenue and find out who
will travel all over the country it is said, in
search of fraud That is WELL A glance at the
returns from the income tax will show that the
residents of the District of Columbia, Maryland
Delaware and the two countries of Virginia COM
bined in this district, paid their share OF
| the income tax and did the people in New
England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsyl-
vania. The people who failed to pay liberal in
| come taxes were those who have been Boosting
of their prosperity out in the great West, where
is now located Ponce de Icons fountain of per-
petual youth for political reformers.
The people who live in the revenue district that
surrounds the National Capital paid $I,I54,446 as
tax on their individual incomes, which is per
capita tax OF 90 cents for all the population of
this revenue district. The great State of Iowa,
with population and more wealth. paid $780,
515 individual income tax, or about IL cents per
capita. Kansas paid only cents per capita in
dividual income tax, Oklahoma cents and Arkan-
sas little than cents. Combining the
corporation and individual income taxes, this
district paid SI7oo. 500 SS cents per capita
the combined tax, Kansas 80 cents, Oklahoma 20
cents, Arkansas cents South Carolina 10 cents
and Alabama and Mississippi less than cents.
Most of these States have greater amount of
taxable wealth than have the two States and the
District OF Columbia, which are combined in this
revenue district The combined taxable wealth of
Delaware, Maryland, the District of Columbia and
the counties of Accomac and Northampton in Nr-
gnia, which included in this revenue district
amounts to S3,o77146,oSo. The payment of 81 &c.,
500 corporation and individual income tax, was
Federal levy OF almost six-tenths of mill
each dollar of that total wealth. Iowa has a total
taxable wealth of S7,437,oo+S3+ and paid S7334sS
as corporation and individual income tax or a
levy of less than one-tenth of mill on her total
taxable wealth Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas,
South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi paid at
the rate Iowa. less than one-tenth of
a mill on their total taxable wealth, while North
and South Dakota paid only hve-hundredths of
mill. New York paid one and three-tenths mills
on her total taxable wealth while New England
New Jersey and Pennsylvania paid six-tenths of
a mill, the the people of this revenue dis
trict
The promoters of the income tax amendment
commended that wealth did not pay its share of
the cost of government and that an income tax
was the only way to reach wealth But the re-
turns for the second year of this income show
that the people who have the largest per capita
wealth, out in the great agricultural West, pay
one-tenth OF a mill while those OF the East pay
from six-tenths of mill to one and three-tenths
OF mill on their total taxable wealth.
The flying squad ought to make tour OF the |
West and the South to discover why the richest |
people in America pay from one-sixth to one
thirteenth much on their wealth as tax on |
corporation and individual incomes, as do the |
people in the East Was that the purpose of the |
law or have Western farmers shorter memories
when they make up their statements for the Col |
ector of Internal Revenue than they have when
they getting out publicity statements as to
heir prosperity? The flying squad ought to find
out,