The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1918-03-22
Mr.. SiMPKINS PAYS
HIS income TAX
By ROBERT McDIAiR.


Mr. Sinpkins gazed at the portrait
on the wall till his eyes filed WIN
tears. Ii was portrait al his father.
Colonel Slrnpkins who had four times
been promoted for valOr during the
Civil WaI and had died bravely on tho
field of action. Mr.. Simpkins' thrOai
ached now for two reasons: First. he
reverenced and adored the memory OF
his father; secondly. his age and his
eyes aud his game leg wouldn't let him
20 TO waf himself. And as he observed
the martial bearing and uncomprOmis-
Ing gaze OF Colonel Simpkins he saw.
In imagina 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.. SImpkins 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 he Strengthened and
threw his right arm up for salute.
But his gouty shoulder twinged. and ne
groaned. He couldn't even salute.
Damn" said Mr.. Simpkins. and
with his other hand fiercely twirled his
white mustachios.
He turned and limped into the IL
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 Reys-
nue. officer only that day after lunch
con on his way homo from the club.
Mr.. Bimpkins' income for 1917 had
amounted to just about $4,000. and he
had been rather snappy on the sub
ject of taxes ever since he had dlscOv-
cred that the more income q man has
the greater the percentage OF II he
pays In taxes. He could think OF Sev-
eral men who. like himself, were mar
ried and had two children, and yet
although their incomes were nearly
half OF his, they would pay only .
small fraction of the amount he paid.
He glOomily drew the blank nearer
and began nlllng In the Information
that II asked for.
As Mr.. Slmpkins' 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 2 per cent. {under
the 1915 law) on all income over
$4,000. deducting 500 for each Of their
children under eighteen years In Mr.
Simpkins case this was 1912, which he
put down In the payable" column.
He saw next that. under the 1911
law. ma rried men pay an additional 2
per cent. on all over S2.OOO-with the
same allowance for children. This
added s252 to his payable" column.
He then observed that for every
$500 jump In his income over $5,OOl
be had to pay a Surtax. the percentage
growing larger with each jump. This
was $3.50 more added 10 his burden
And on, top OF all this came an "Ex
cess Profits" tax Of per cent. on al
"occupa tion" income over $1,000. max
ing $720 more.
The total. then, he must pay was four
teen hundred and thirty-four dollars.
-Whew I" exclaimed Mr.. Slmpkins
angrily There's young Henry WI
kins. who married Jake Johnson's girl
he makes $1,000 and he doesn't pay q
cent of taxes. guess this II his wal
a. well al mine /"
Thinking of young Henry wilkins
he remembered that Mrs. wilkins wen
every afternoon TO make bandages FOL
the Red Cross and that Henry, who
wss, q lawyer. was aiding the Loca
Draft Board with Its Questionnaires.
well" no admitted 10 himself
that makes a difference
lie thought next OF Judge willough
ny, whose income was about 5000.
"Ile only pays $50" commented Mf
Simpkins. not quite so sngrily thi,
time: and then n thought struck hin
and no sat up rigidly In his chair.
Judge Willoughby's son had beer
drowned on the Tuscanla when II wa
summarized with the loss OF two hun
dred soldiers
Judge willoughby gave his son q
America" muttered Mr. Simpkins.
lie leaned forward suddenly and pu
his face In his hands.
For a long time Mr.. Simpkins "a
very still In that position There wa
no sound In NE library except tn