The Donaldsonville chief., 1918-03-30
MR., SIMpkiljS PAYS
HIS INCOME TAX
Rv ROBERT McBLAiR.

field of action. Mr.. Si1npkins' throat
ached now for two reasons: First, he
reverenced and ndored the memory OF
his father; secondly, his age ana MS
eyes and his game leg wouldn't let him
70 to war himself. And as he observed
the martial bearing and uncompromls-
ing gaze Of Colonel Simpkins he saw,
in Imagination, the khaki-clad ladsSof
the new generation marching forth n1d
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 ana
threw his right arm up for a salute.
But his gouty shoulder twinged, and he
groaned He couldn't even salute.
damn p said Mr.. Simpkins, and
with his other hand fiercely twirled his
white mustachios.
He turned and Iimped 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
grunnpily got from the Internal Rove
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 S15:ooo, ana he
had been rather snappy on the sub
ject Of taxes ever since he had tiiscov-
cred TINT the more income man has
the greater the percentage OF 1t ne
paws In taxes. He could think of sew
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 filling in the information
that 1t asked for.
AS Mr.. Simpkins' income was $4,000
he had to figure out the amounts pay
able on each Of the successive smaller
slasses Of incomes in order to arrive
at the total due from himself. He
passed over the first class who mugt
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 $212, which he
put down In the payable" column.
He saw next that under the 1917
law, married men pay an additional 2
per cent. on all over $2.00O-with the
| same allowance for children. This
added s252 to his payable column.
He then observed that for every
1880 Jump in his income over $1,000
he had to pay surtax, the percentage
gre ing larger with ea6-ajump. 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 $720 more
The total, then, he must pay was four
teemhundred and thirty-easdr dollars.
"Whew!" exclaimed Mr.. Simpkins
angrily. There's young Henry Will
kins, who married Jake Johnson's girl,
he makes $1,000 and he doesn't pay a
cent of taxes. / guess this is his war
as well as miner
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.
"Well," he admitted to himself,
'that makes difference"
He thought next of Judge Willough-
by, whose income was about $4,000.
"He only pays $2O," commented Mre
s,mpkins, not quite so angrily this
time; and then thought struck him
and he sat up rigidly in his chair.
| Judge Willoughby's son had been
drowned on the Tuscan1a when it was
summarized with the loss of two hun
dred soldiers
"Judge Willoughby gave his son to
America" muttered Mr.. Simpkins.
He leaned forward suddenly and put
| his face in his hands.
| For a long time Mr.. Simpkins sat
very still in that position. There was
90 sound in the library except the
| ticking of the tall clock and an occa-
sional trill Of laughter from the chik.
| 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 irascible old man.
! Mr.. Simpkins was thinking things
which he would never afterward speak
of, he was thinking things that were
| too sacred ever to be put into words
But some inkling of his thoughts may
be found In his re1oinder to Mrs
Simpkins 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 thiyty-four dollars, wasn't he?"
Mr.. Simpkins demanded Of her.
As his wife, who was not unused to
his superficial irritations, watched him
In mild astonishment, Mr.. Simpkins
limped out to the hall and took his
old felt hat and silver-headed cane
from the hat rack. Letting himself out
into the foggy evening, he tapped his
way down to the corner, and mailed hif
income tax statement and check witE.
his own hands
"Now, God be thanked" said Mr.
S!mpkins as the lid clanked shut over