Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-08-05

Washington. Aug. 4.-Of the Wis
o16 900 personal income tax collected
for the fiscal year 1916. investors ami
spectators in all fields shouldered
Just one-third Of the burden. labor
.0S6 per cent of it, and the remand
ar came from the multitudlnous
ranks Of those whose incomes were
classed a derived from business
and "serrices.' Embraced within
the latter classes is every calling
from that Of banker 10 the farmer
with a scant acre. and, in the pro-
fession. from the practitioner Of IN
ternationa! law to the modest CHR
opodis..
Ninety per cent Of the total tax
was derived from those fulsome in
comes Of more than $4,000, and Lot
per cent. from those Of the $4,000
class and less. although the latter
constituted moro than third " the
total 49,. n0} returns. The highest
average rate Of lax actually paid
upon net income subject to tax was
1928 per cent, which fell upon the
highest income class of $4,000, h0l and
over. Only ter individuals, however,
bore the burden Of that rate. They
contributed SIC, 100000 to the total
! TAX. The average Of tax paid de
clined through the income classes to
a minimum Of % per cent. for the
5. 200 to $4,000 class,
+ Although incomes Of 800, 900 and
more constituted only Is per cent. OF
the total number Of returns. they
raid nearly three -fourths Of the total
TAX.
! property" income from stocks
bonds, rents, royalties anu all MONEY
working sourceS-Cons;itutIn nearly
one-half of the net total Of six bill
l1or, dollars reported, even in the face
Of the exemption OF all dividends,
amounting to exactly q third Of the
total net ircome returned. bore near
IL its proportionate one-half Of the
( total tax because Of the much higher
prcDortion Of "prOpertY' income in
/ the returns Of the higher income
! classes. paving the heavier rates OF
!tax. Incomes from business and
service" footed the remainder of
the tax bill.
AS an evidence Cf the inducements
to thrift in matrimony. the returns
of married men. making due deduc-
| ton for joint returns Of husband ana
| wife. indicated their wealth at more
than five times that Of single men as
shown by their returns. the former
bearing a corresponding burden Of
the tax except for exemption in the
s. 600 TO $4,000 class amounting 70
| about per cent Of their total in
como reported.
! Although for the country at large,
the returns of single men were dou-
BILE those of single women. the six
New England states were a conspic-
lUus exception to the rule. The total
income reported by single men in
that section exceeded by barely j.
per cent. the total income OF single
women. bearing testimony either to
the superior independence and earn
ing capacity of the New England Wo-
men or a reluctance to share inheri-
ted riches in matrimony. The Dis
trict of Columbia and Hawaii were
also conspicuous in that respect,
showing about equal returns for sin
gle men and women
A striking eccentricity in the re-
port is the return in the skilled and
unskilled labor class Of twenty-five
incomes above the $780, 900 mark. five
Of them being above 100000. Two
hundred and eighty labor returns
were above $4,000.
Four commercial travellers showed
incomes Of over 100000, as did two
saloon keepers. one professional
sportsman. eighteen hotel proprietors
and twenty-five insurance agents.
Actors. singers and musicians to the
number Of 914 showed a total income
Of Sill .o00. a neat average Of over
1908 and possibility to stimulate
the other 170,0 600 not making returns.
Five of these incomes we're over