Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-03-23
TO PROSECUTE
ALL SLACKERS
ON INCOME TAX
commisioner Roper Issues Force
fuI Warning To Persons Who
Fail To Make Return.
N QUARTER TO BE ALLOWED
Time Limit For Filing Report En-
hires at 1 O'clock On Next
Saturday Afternoon.

Tax SlaCNrES, pew are
a. the time limit for filing all
e,ssses Of income tax returns is
tsst drawing TO a close. Commits
eGoner Daniel e. Roper of internal
ravenue issued a statement that no
cusrter viii he given TO those who
fsiI 10 comply with the statute.
David NcCuggage. local income
,sx inspect0r today received copies
- the order from +. d. MCCabe,
district collector at Peoria. The
time limit for filing tax returns ex-
hires next Saturday afternoon at
4 o'clock. The official time is prior
N ApriI I. bat as March 81 falls on
= Sunday. one day of grace is elm
mated. The original time for filing
was set at March I. then an eXtens-
ion of 80 days was granted to
April I.
Appended is the letter issued by
Commissioner Roper at Washing
ton on the subject.
Tax slackers Will be prosecuted
ss vigorously and relentlessly I'M
der the war revenue act as draft
slackers were prosecuted under
the selectiye service act. The aid
Of all good citizens is invoked in
bringing to Justice the man who O.
UberateIy seeks to evade his just
share Of the war burden"
This was the statement today of
Commissioner Of Internal Revenue
Daniel c. Roper. With only seven
DAYS left in which to file income
tax returns. he has practically COM
pleted the organization of a huge
dragnet for bringing into camp all
persons who fail to file their re-
turns by April / Revenue officers
in every section of the country are
checking up returns with view
10 beginning prosecutions against
tax do6g eTs. The word has gone
forth that such offenders need ex-
poet no len5ercy.
Through its educational cam
paign. the bureau Of internal rev.
enue has endeavored to cover the
field so thoroughly, that ignorance
Of the law cannot be consistently
offered as an excuse" said Com
missioner Roper today. The press.
the four MINUTE men. the state and
county councils of national de-
Tense. the field force of the depart
ment Of agriculture. and other gov
eminent departments. banks post
Offices and hundreds of volunteer
agencies. have cOonerated in bring
ing home to the taxpayer. his duty
THE man who failed TO register
under the selective service act was
regarded by the war department as
Stacker. and prosecuted as such
The man who fails to file his in
come tax. VIII be regarded as q
money slacke~' and when discov,
cred, as he VII he. viii be made Il
suffer the full penalties Of the law
Great Majority Loyal.
ITO the credit of the nation j
may be said that ] have gratifying
and conclusive evidence that thes
income taxes Will be paid by tn,
great majority of the American
peopla cheerfulIy and willingly
But the duty of the honest mai
does not end with the payment 0
his own tax. 7 call upon him L
aid in bringing into camp. the ia,
eyade what his representative il
congress have declared to be hi
Just share of the tax imposed 70
the support Of our arms. is deserv
ing of no consideration and will re
Ceive none.
Congress has distributed thi
tax Justly and equitably The rat
is fixed so that the rich man AM
the men Of modern means are as
sessed. each according TO his in
come No man can offer the ex
cuse that his neighbor escapes wha
he is made to pay. Therefore,
is incumbent upon all good citi
zens to aid in carrying out the in
tent and spirit of the law, which
that the burden of the war tax b
evenly distributed and every ma
compelled to paw his just quota"