The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1918-03-15
Mr., S!MPKINS PAYS
HIS INCOME TAX
BY ROBERT McBLAlR.


been promoted for vaOr dl.-ing the
Civil War and had died bravely on th'
field of action. Mr.. Simpkins' throh
achpd now for two reasons: First, he
revprcnccd and adOre1 the memory OF
his father; secondly, his age and hiS
eyes and his game leg wouldn't let hin
go to war himself. And as he observed
the martial hearing and uncompromis
Ing gaze of Colonel Simpkins he saw.
IN Imagination, the khakI-clad lads Of
the new generation marching forth and
crossing three thousand miles Of sea TO
fight, maybe die, for liberty.
Mr.. Simpkins pecred around to make
sure that neither BeSs nor John (who
were at the teasing ages OF sixteen
and sevcnteen) were where they could
see him, then he Strengthened and
threw his right arm up for salute
But his equity shoulder twinged, and he
groaned. He couldn't even salute.
Damn" said Mr.. SimpkIns, and
with his other hand fercely twlrled his
white mustachIos.
He turned and limped 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 he had rather
grumpIy got from the Internal Reve-
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 $4,000 and he
had been rather snappy on the sub
feet Of taxes ever since he had discOv-
cred that the more income a man has
the greater the percentage OF 1t he
pays 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 q
small fraction of the amount he paid.
He gloomily drew the blank nearer
and began filling in the information
that II asked for.
AS Mr.. Simpklns' income was $4,000
he had TO figure out the amounts pny-
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
Pied men then showed up as follows:
First, they pay 2 per cent. (under
the 1916 law on all income over
$4,000, deducting 5000 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 9
per cent. on all over $2,0O0-with the
same allowance for children. This
added $3.50 to his payable" column.
He then observed that for every
$500 jump In his income over $4,000
he had to pay 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 Eek.
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.
teen hundred and thirty-four dollars.
"Whew!" exclaimed. Mr.. Simpkins
angrily. There's young Henry Will
kins, who married Jake Johnson's girl,
he makes $4,000 and he doesn't pay a
cent of taxes. | guess this is his war
as we'll as mine!"
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,
shat makes difference"
He thought next of Judge WiIlough.
by, whose income was about $4,000.
"He only pays $50" commented Mr.
Slmpkins, not quite so angrily this
time; and then thought struck him
and he sat up rigidly in his chair.
Judge Willoughhy'S son had been
drowned on the Tuscnnla when II WAS
summarized with the loss of two hun.
dred soldiers.
Judge Willoughby gave his son TO
America muttered Mr.. .Simpkins.
lie leaned forward suddenly and Dut
his face in his hands.
For long time Mr.. Simpkins 81.
very still in that position. There was
no sound In the library except the
ticking Of the tall clock and an occa.
sional trill Of laughter from the chill.
dren skylarking upstairs. The souaye
OF light on the carpet gradually with.
drew itself through the window, and
hrst twilight and then darkness settled
10 about the quiet, white haired, some.
times irascible old man.
Mr.. Simpkins was thinking things
Which ne would never afterward sneak
OF, he was thinking things that were
TOO sacred ever to be put into words.
But some inkllng of his thoughts may
be found in his rejoinder to Mrs.
bimpkins 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 thirty-four dollars, wasn't he2"
Mr. simpklns demanded of her.
AS his wife, who was not unused TO
his superficial irritations, watched him
In mild establishment, Mr.. Slnpkins
limped out TO the hall and took his
old felt hat and sllver-headed cane
from the hat rack Letting himsalf c,,t