Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1918-03-16
Mr., SlMPKINS PAYS
HIS INCOME TAX
ey ROBERT McBLAIR.

reverenced and adored the memory {
his father; secondly, his age and h
eyes and his game leg wouldn't let hi
20 to Wa himself. And as he observe
the martial bearing and uncomproml>
ing gaze of Colonel Simpkins he say
IN Imagination. the KHAKI clad lads Z"
the new generation marching forth AZ
crossing three thousand miles of sea 1
fight. maybe die, for liberty.
Mr.. Simpkins peercd around to max
sure that neither EeSs nor John (wi
were at the teasing ages of SiNte'
and seyentecn) were where they cou
see him then he Strengthened al
threw his right arm up for saiu'
But his equity shoulder twinged, and l.
groaned. He couldn't even salute.
Damn said Mr. Simpklns, an
with his other hand iercely twirled HI.
white mustachiOS.
He turned and limped into the Il
brary and sat down creakily before Il
mahogany desk on which were lylH
the blanks for his income tax stat
mcnt, blanks which he had rattle;
grumplly got from the Internal Rev"
nue. officer only that day after lunci
con on his way home from the club.
Mr.. Simpkins' income for 1917 ha
amounted to just about $4,000 and b
had been rather snappy on the sui
iect of taxes ever since he had disco
cred that the more income a man h;
The greater the percentage Of 1t
pays in taxes. He could think of seN
eral men who, like himself, were maj
ried and had two children, and ye;,
although their incomes were nearl.
half of his, they would pay only :
small fraction of The amount he paif
He gloonlily drew the blank nearr
and began filling in the infOrmatiO
that it asked for.
As Mr.. Simpkins Income was $1,000
he had to figure out the amounts pay
able on each of the successive smalle
classes OF incomes in order to arriv,
at the total due from himself. II
passed over the first class who mus
pay taxes. that is, single men maxim
over 1000 His calculation for mar
ried men then showed up as follows:
First, they pay per cent (unde,
the 1916 law on all income owe.
$1,000, deduCting $500 for each Of thci
children under eighteen years. In NJ
Simpkins' case this was $212, which h,
put down in the payable" column.
He saw next that, under the 1917
law, married men pay an additional :,
per cent. on all over $2000-with the
same allowance for children. Thi:
added $3.50 to his payable" column.
He then observed that for ever!
50, 500 jump In his income over 5000
he had TO pay Surtax, the ps>-centage'
growing larger with each This
was $50 more added to his burden
And on top Of all this came an Eek
cess Profits" tax of s per cent. on all
income over $4,000. max
ing S720 more.
The total, then, he must pay was four
teen hundred and thlrty-four dollars.
"Wheww exclaimed Mr. Smpkins
angrily. There's young Henry VII
kins, who married Jake JOhnsOn's girl
he makes $1,000 and he doesn't pay &
cent. of taxes ! guess this is his war
as well as mine"
Thinking Of young Henry wilkins
he remembered that Mrs. wilkins wen'
every afternoon to make bandages fol
the Red Cross and tEal Henry who
was a lawyer was aiding the Local
Draft Board with It's questlonnaires.
We'll" he admitted to himself
that makes a difference
He thought next Of Judge Willough
by, whose income was about $1,000.
HE only pays 500" commented Mr.
Simpklns. not quite So nngriIy this
time and then thought struck him
and he sat M rigdly in hls chair.
Judge Will0uglihy s son had been
drowned on the TUsranla when It WIS
Summarized with the loss of two hun
dred soldiers.
Judge WillOuChby CAV, his son &c
America. muttered Mr. Simpkins.
He leaned forward suddenly and put
his face In his hands.
For long time Mr. Simpkins sal
very still In that position. There was
no sound in the library except the
ticking of the tall clock and an occa
sional trill of laughter from the chill
<I-.u -l.,.l., ,.L t,cy fY,r,.,ire 1'b1 arua -.
of ligh, 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 iraSr,blc old man
Mr. Sirpkins was thinking things
which he would never af,erward speak
of, he WAS thinking things that were
too sacred ever 10 he put INTO words
But some inkling of his thoughts may
he found in his rpjoindeI 10 Mrs
SimpkinS when that placid lady came
in and turned OF The lights. and asked
him whether he was ready for dinner
Judge Willoughby's only son "a>
worth as much a. fourteen hundred
and th,rly-fOuI dollars. wasn't her
Mr.. Simplins demanded of her.
AS his wife, who was not unused tC
his superficial irrItations, watched hin
In mild establishment Mr. Simpkins
imped OF, TO the nal and took his
old felt hat md silver,heahed cane
from the hat rack Letting himself Out
into the foggy evening. he tapped his
way down to the corner anu mailed his
income tax statement and check with
his own hatHs.
Now God De thanked" said MIR
Simpkihs rs the lid ClankPd shut over
his missirp Il can 10 this much for
ais SountrS. anyhow"
-ws.S.---
1T Sure does the Work.