Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-03-14
MIR. SIMPkINS PAYS
HIS INCOME TAX
BY ROBERT McBIAiR.


tears. Ii was q portrait or his father,
Colonel Simpkins, who had four times
been promoted for valor during the
Civil War and had died bravely on the
field OF action. Mr. Slmpklns' throat
ached now for two reasons First, he
reverenced and adored the memory of
his father secondly, his age and his
eyes and his game leg wouldn't let him
20 to war himself. And az he observed
the martial bearing and uncompromis-
ing gaze OF Colonel Simpklns he saw,
in imaglnat ton, the khaki clad lads of
the new generation marching forth and
crossing three thousand miles of sea to
fight. maybe die, for liberty
Mr.. SImpklns peered around TO make
sure that neither Bess nor John (who
were at the teasing ages of sixteen
and seventeen) were where they could
see him, then ne Strengthened and
threw his right arm up for salute.
But his equity shoulder twinged, and he
groaned He couldn't even salute.
Damn p said Mr. Simpkns, and
with his other hand fiercely twirled his
white mustachios.
He turned and imped into the H.
brary and sat down creakily before the
mahogany desk on which were lying
the blanks for his income tax state
ment, blanks which he had rather
grumpily got from the Internal Reye-
nue. officer only that day after lunch
con on his way home from the club.
Mr.. Simpkins income for 1917 had
amounted to just about $4,000, and ne
had been rather snappy on the sub
iect of taxes ever since he had discOv-
cred that the more income man has
the greater the percentage of 1t he
pays in taxes. He could think of sew
eral men who. like himself, were mar
rled and had two children, and yet,
although their incomes were nearly
half of his. they would pay only a
small fraction of the amount he paid.
He gloomily drew the blank nearer
and began filling in the Information
that ii asked for.
As Mr.. Simpllins income was $4,000
he had to figure out the amounts pay
able on each of the successive smaller
classes of incomes in order to arrive
at the total due from himself He
passed over the first class who must
pay taxes, that is, single men making
over 1000. His calculation for mar
ried men then showed up as follows:
First, they pay ? per cent. (under
the 1916 law on all income over
$1,000, deducting 5000 for each of their
children under eighteen years. In Mr.
Simpkins case this was S212, which he
put down In the payable column.
He saw next that under the 1917
law, married men pay an additional .
per cent. on all over S2.000-with the
Same allowance for children This
added $3.50 to his payable" column.
He then observed that for every
$500 jump in his income over $1,000
he had TO pay SurtaX, the percentage
: growing larger with each jump This
was $3.50 more added to his burden
And on top of all this came an "Ex-
cess Profits" tax of per cent. on all
Occupation income over $4,000. max
| ing 500 more.
| The total, then, he must pay was four
! teen hundred and thirty-four dollars.
"Whew' exclaimed Mr. Simpklns
| angrily "rheres young Henry Will
| ,ins, who married Jake Johns0n's girl,
he makes $1,000 and he doesn't pay a
cent of taxes. l guess this is his war
ms well rs minei"
Thinking of young Henry wilkins,
| he remembered that Mrs wilkins went
| every afternoon TO make bandages for
| the Red Cross and that Henry, who
| was a lawyer was aiding the Local
/ Draft Board with its questionnaires.
We'll" he admitted to himself.
"that makes a difference"
He thought next of Judge Willough-
by. whose income was about $4,000.
'He only pays 500" commented Mr..
| Simpkins, not quite so angrily this
time; and then a thought struck him
and he sat up rigldly in his chair.
Judge Willoughby's son had been
| drowned on the TuScnnia when it was
| Summarized with the loss Of two hun
I dred soldiers
Judge Willoughhy gave his son to
! America" muttered Mr. Simpkins,
He leaned forward suddenly and put
his face in his hands.
For q long time MI Simpkins sat
very still in that position. There was
no sound in the library except the
/ ticking Of the tain clock and an occa-
sional trill Of laughter from the chill
dren skylarking upstairs. The square
of light on the carpet gradually with.
drew itself through the window and
first twilight and then darkness settled
In about the quiet, white haired, some
times iraScihlo old man.
Mr. Simpkius was thinking things
which he would never aftcrward speak
Of. he was thinking things that were
too sacred ever to be put into words
But some inkling of his thoughts may
Pee found In his rejoinder 10 Mrs
SmpRinS when that placid lady came
IN and turned on the lights, and asked
him whether he was ready for dinner
Judge WIlloughby'S only son was
worth as much as fourteen hundred
and thrty-four dollars. wasn't he2"
Mr.. SuupRius demanded Of her
As his wife, who WIS not unused TO