The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-03-14
Mr.. SIMPKINS PAYS
HIS INCOME TAX
ny ROBERT MeBlAIR

1 Colonel Simpkins Who had four times
been promoted for yalor a. iug the
4 Clvii War and had died bra,cty on the
field ~ action Mr. SImpkins' Throat
nchcd now for two reasons First, he
I revcrrncod and nd0rcd the memory OF
his father secondly. his age and his
eyes and his game lpg wouldn't let him
50 to war himself. And as he observed
| the martial hearing and uncompromls,
Ing gaze OF Colonel StmpkinS he saw,
In Imagination. the Khaki clad lads OF
the now generation marching forth and
crossing three thousand miles OF sen 10
fight, maybe die for liberty
Mr. SmpkIns peorcd around TO make
sure that neither Hess nor John twho
were NJ the teasing ages Of sixteen
and sevcntecnl we're where they could
see him. then he stmghtrnrd and
threw his right arm NJ for a salute.
But his equity shoulder winged and he
groancd He couldn't even salute
Damn said Mr.. Shmrkps, and
with his other hand ierccly twtrlcd hts
white muSiachios
He turned and IImpcd into The Il
brary and sat down creukily before the
mahogany desk on which were lying
the blanks for hts Income tax state
ment. blanks which he had rathet
grumpily got from the Internal Reye-
nue. officer only that day after lunch
con ON his way home from the club
MIR Smpkins' income for 1917 had
amounted TO lust about $4,000, and he
had been rather snappy on the sub
jcct Of taxes ever since he had discOv-
cred that the more Income man has
the greater the percentage Of II he
pays In taxes. He could think Of sew
cral men who, Ike himself, were mar
ried and had two children, and yet,
although their incomes were nearly
half Of his they would pny only IA
small fraction of the amount he paid.
lie gloomly drew the blank nearer
and began 0lling in the Information
that II asked for
As Mr. Simpkins income wns $4,000
he had to figure out the amounts pay
able on each OF the successive smaller
classes of incomes in order 70 arrive
nj 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
red men then showed up MS follows:
First they pay per cent tunder
the 1916 law on all income over
$4,000, deducung 5000 for each Of their
children under eighteen years In Mr..
Simpkins case this was S2l2, 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 $1,000 with the
same allowance for children This
added S252 10 his payable column.
He then observed That for every
s., 500 jump IN his income over $1,000
he had TO pay n Surtax, the percentages
larger with each jump This
was $3.50 more added TO his burden.
And on top Of all this came an "Ex-
cess Profits tax Of S per cent on all
income over $4,000, maxi
ing 1920 more
The total, then, he must pay was four
teen hundred and thirtyfour dollars
"Whew :" exclaimed Mr.. SImpklns
nngrily There's young Henry VIII
kIns, who married J;.ke Johnson's girl.
be makes 50 600 nnd he doesn't pay n
rent Of taxes | guess this is his war
as well MS mInc!"
Thinking OF young Henry wilkins,
he remembered that Mrs wilkins went
every afternoon TO make bnpdages for
The Red Cross and that Henry. who
was n lawyer was aiding the Locai
Draft Board with rs qncstionnares
We'll" he admitted to himself,
that makes difference.
He thought next Of Judge Willough-
~, whose income was about $1,000.
ale only pays $40. commented Mr..
Smpkins, not quite 80 angrily this
line and then thought struck him
md he sat up rigldly In his chair
Judge Willoughby's son had been
lrowned on the Tuscana when II was
with the loss of two hun
lrcd soldiers.
Judge WIloughby gave his son to
america muttcred Mr. Smpkins
He leaned forward suddenly and put
lis face IN his bands
For n long Zine Mr. SImpkns SAT
cry shll in that position There was
% sound IN the library except the
licking Of the tnI clock ana m oeca.
Iona trim Of laughter from the chit
rem skyaflIus up9alrs The square
( light on thr carpc. gradually with.
rosy itself through tho window and
ret twilight ond then darkness settled
j about the qHot white haired some
lines ifaseib'c old man
Mr. Simpkius was thinking things
hitch be would never aficrWnrd speak
Z be- was thinking things that were
20 sacred ever 20 bc put into words.
ui some milling u his thoughts may
q found IN his reiolrdrr 70 Mrs
lmrlins when thaf placid lady came
and turned on The tights, and asked
In whether he was ready FOR dinner
Judge Wlloughby's only son was
or,h as much as fourteen hundred
"a ,t,.t.. e.ty Tpflors eoCpptt HarW