The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-03-22
Mr., SIMpKINS PAYS
HIS INCOME TAX
ny ROBERT MosLAIR.

Colonel Nne nhu i'hi h"' y
been promoted for valor dL.tng the !
Ctvn war and had died bravely on the !
field n action. Mr.. simpkins' throat l
scbed now for two reasons: First. he !
reverenced and ndored the memory ~ I
his father; secondly. his age and his J
ewes and his gAme les wouldn't let him
20 10 war himself And NJ he observed
the martial hearing and uncomrromis'
ing rnge " Colonel Simpkins he saw,
In Imagination. the khnklclad lads OF
the new generation marching forth mt
crossing three thousand miles Of sea to
ARht. maybe die. for liberty. a.
Mr. slmpkins reered around to make
sure that neither Ress nor John twho
we're 1T the teasing aEes ~ sixteen
and seventeen) were whore they could
see him. then he strengthened ana
threw his right arm up for a salute
But his equity shoulder winged. and he
groaned. Tie couldn't even salute.
Damn 90 said Mr.. simpkins, and
with his other hand hercely twirled his
white m%ustnchlos.
lie turned and limped into the ".
hrnrv md sat down creRkily before tho
mahogany desk on which were lying
the hanks for his income tax state
ment. blanks which he had rather
grumnlly got from the Internal Reve.
nue u,ncer only that day after lunch
con on his way home from the club.
Mr. SImpkIns' income for 1917 had
amounted 20 lust about $4,000, and he
had been rather snappy on the sub
iect ~ taxes ever since he had discov'
cred that the more income n man has
the greater the percentage 81 " he
pnys In taxes lie could think ~ sew
eial men who. like himself, were mar
rlcd and had two children, and yet.
although their incomes were nearly
half ~ his. they would nay only a
small fraction ~ The amount he paid.
lie eloomliy drew the blank nearer
and began nling In the Information
that II asked for
AZ Mr. simpklns' income was Sih.ooo
he had ~ hgure out the amounts pay
able on each ~ the successive smaller
classes ~ incomes IN order 10 arrive
~ the total due from himself Tie
missed over the first class who must
nay tnyes. that II. single men making
over iOOO. Hts calculation for mar.
rici men then showed ny ~ follows;
FIRST. they pay ? per cent tunder
the 1910 lRwl on all income over
SiOr1. deducting 5000 for each ~ their
children under eighteen years. In Mr..
Slmpklns' case this was 1919. which he
PM down In The payable column.
Tie saw next that, under the 1917
law. married men pay IN additional ?
pcr cent. on all over S2.OoO-with the
same allowance for children. THIS
added s2a2 to his payable" column.
Tie then observed that for every
$500 jump In his Income over Sh.Ono
he had to pay n SustaN, the percentage
growing larger with each jump. This
was $3.50 more added tn his burden,
And on top ~ an this came an FIX
cess Profits" tax ~ = per . on all
Occupation" income over $4,000, max
lnr $40 more.
The total. then. he must pay was four
teen hundred and thirty.four dollars.
"whew 2" exclaimed Mr. Simpkins
anrrily. There's Young Henry WI.
kIns. who married Jake Iohnson's girl,
. he makes S2.OOO and he doesn't pay n
, cent NJ taxes I guess this Ia his wnr
a. well as mine"
/, Thinking 81 Young Henry wilkins,
he remembered that Mrs wilkins went
every afternoon 10 make handages foI
r the Red Cross and that Henry, wh0
. was q lawyer. was aiding the Local
: Draft Board with its questlonnair"S
/. well" he admitted 20 himself
"thRt makes n difference"
He thought next ~ Judge wlllough
n h,. whose income was hhout $1,000
"He only pays $40" commented Mr.
smpklns. not quite w angrlly this
time and then n thought struck hin
and he sat up RICHLY IN his chair
Judge willoughhy's son had heer
drowned on the Tuscnnla when II wal
s~uhmnrIncd with the loss of two hun
> dred s"ldiers.
!. Judge Wlllourhhy gave his son Il
?. America. muttered Mr. Simpkins,
/. lie leaned forward suddenly and pu
d his face IN his hands,
For n long time Mr. Simpklns "a
Is very SIN In that position. There wal
n. no NfNNNNNfN W. wv NlHNNAN fA'NIN "
4, ticking " the tail clock and nm coca
Is slonal trim NJ laughter from the chill
d. dren skylarking upstairs. The squar
Of lIght on the carpet gradually with
.. drew Itself through the window an
n hrst twilight and then darkness seltleI
In about the quiet, white hatred, soma
n. times lrnscihle did n
VI Mr. Simpkins was thinking thing
~ which he would never nfterwnrd spenI
~. he was thinking things that wor
:. too sacred over to he put into word,
70 nut some lnklinR NJ his thoughts ma
nj be found In his reiolnder 10 Mr.
n. slmpkins when that placid lady ram
In and turned ON the lights, aud nske
pr him whether he was ready for Dime.
m Judge wiiloughhy's only son wa
worth Ms much Ms fourteen hundre