The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1918-03-29
Mr.. SIMpEINS PAYS
HIS INCOME TAX
nY RoRERT McRLAlR.


been promoted for yalor DUNG tie /
Civil War and had died brayely on the |
field of action. Mr. Siinpklns' throat |
ached now for two reasons First, ne |
TeYerenced and adored tile memory Of |
his father; secondly, his age and his /
eyes and his game leg wouldn't let him
90 TO war himself And as he observed |
the martial bearing and uncompr0mls-
ing gaze of Colonel Simpkins he saw
in imagination, the khaki-clad lads ~
the new generation marching forth and
crossing three thousand miles Of sea 70
fight, maybe die, for liberty.
Mr.. Simpkins peered around to make
sure that neither Bess nor. John (wh1
were at the teasing ages Of sixteen
and seventeen were where they could
see him, then he Strengthened ani
threw his right arm up for q salute.
But his equity shoulder winged, and tie
groaned. He couldn't even salute
DAMN" said Mr. slmpkins, and
with his other hand fiercely twirled his
white mustachios.
He turned and llmped 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 be had rather
grumpily got from the Internal ReFe-
nue. officer only tl,at day after hIncl-
con on his way home from the club.
; Mr.. Simpkins income for 1917 had
amounted to just about $1,000 and be
had been rather snappy on the sub
ject of taxes ever since he had fiscor-
cred that tile more income man has
the greater the percentage Of it ne
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 a
small fraction Of the amount he paid.
He gloomily drew the blank nearer
and began filling in the information
that it asked for.
As Mr.. Simpkins 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 > per cent. (under
the 1915 law on all income over
$4,000, deducting 5000 for each of their
children under eighteen years. In Mr..
SImpkins' case this was S212, which he
put down in the payable column.
He saw next CHAT, under the 1917
law, married men pay an additional
per cent. on all over S2.000-with the
same allowance for children THE
added 1852 to his payable" column.
He then observed that for every
$500 jump in his income over $4,000
he had to pay a Surtax, the percentage
growing larger with each jump. This
was $3.50 more added to his burden
And on top of all this came an "EN
cess Profits tax of per cent. on al
Occupation" income over $4,000, max
ing S720 more.
The total, then, he must pay was four
teen. hundred and thirty-four dollars,
"Whewm exclaimed Mr.. SimpHin
angrlly. There's young Henry vii
kins, who married Jake Iohnson's girl
he makes $1,000 ard he doesn't pay
cent of t,.xes. l guess this is his va
as well as miner
Thinking of young Henry wilkins
he remembered that Mrs. wilkins Wen
every afternoon to make handages f.
the Red Cross and that Henry, wh
was a lawyer, was aiding the Loci
Draft Board with its questionnaireS
"WeT," he admitted to himsel
"that makes a difference"
II, payf pf TuIua WillDlIul
hy, whose income was about $4,000
"He only pays $50" commented NJ
Slmpklns. not quite SO angrily Oh
time; and then thought struck hi
and he sat up rigidly in his chair
Judge Willoughby's son had ice
drowned on the Tuscania when it WI
submarined with the loss If tive Inn
dred soldiers.
aJudge Willoughby gave his son
America muttered Mr.. Simpkius,
He leaned forward suddenly and p
his face in his hands.
For long time Mr.. SimpkiHs s
very still in that position. There vi
no sound In the library EXCEPT q
ticking of the tall clock and an Gee
sional trill of laughter from the "a
uren sSkNlaFklhs Al'SlNilN' - =.
of light on the carpet gradually VII
drew itself through tile window Al
nrst twilight and then darilsess settl
In about the quiet, white haired, son
times lrascihle old man.
Mr.. Simp6ins was thinking thin
which he would never aftervarl sps'
of. he was thinking things tilat we
too sacred ever to be pUt into Wo1
But some inkling az his thoughts u
he found Ia his reJoiader e. VI
Simpkins when that placid lady eal
in and turned on the lights and ask
him whether lie was ready for dim
"Judge Willoughby's only son "
worth as much as fourteen hundr
and thlrty-four dollars, Wasn't ~
Mfr, Simpkins demanded Of her
AS his wife, who WAS not unused