The Morgan County press. (Wartburg, Tenn.) 1916-1926, 1918-03-22
Mr., SIMPKINS PAYS
HIS INCOME TAX
Ry ROBERT McBLAIR.

4.
on the wall till his eyes filled with
tears. 1t was portrait ~ his father.
Colonel Simpkins, who had four times
been promoted for valor during the
Civil War and had died bravely on the
field of action. Mr. Simpkins' throat
ached now for two reasons: First, he
reverenced and adored the memory OF
his father; secondly. his age and MS
eyes and his game leg wouldn't let MN
no 70 wal himself And as he observed
the martial bearing and uncompromis-
ing gaze Of Colonel Simpkins he saw,
In imagina ton. the KHAKI; clad lads or
the new generation marching forth ana
crossing three thousand miles of sea to
fight, maybe die. for liberty.
Mr.. Simpknropeered around to make
sure that neitheA Bess nor John (who
were at the teasing ages. of sixteen
and seventeen) were where they coulq
see him, then he Strengthened ana
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 t1ercely twirled his
white mustachiOs.
He turned and nmped into the IL
brary and sat down 'reakily before the
mahogany desk on which were lying
the blanks for his income tax state
ment. blanks which ne had rather
grumpily got from the Internal Reve-
nue. officer only that day after lunch
eon on his way home from the club.
Mr.. Simpkins' income for, 1917 had
amounted to just about $4,000, and ne
had been rather snappy on the SUD-
iect of taxes ever since he had discOv-
cred that the more income man mas
the greater the percentage OF II ne
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
small fraction of the amount he. paid.
He gIoomily drew the blank nearer
and began filling in the information
that 1t asked for.
AS Mr.. Simpkins' income was $15 900
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 LOCO His calculation for mar
ried men then showed up as follows: =
First, they pay 2 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 $212, which he
put down in the payable" column.
He saw next that, under She 1917
law, married men pay an additional 2
per cent. on all over $20O0-with the
same allowance for children. This
added 1852 to his payable" column.
He then observed that for every
50. 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 Eek
cess Profits" tax of per cent. on all
..occupation" income over $4,000. max
ing $720 more. i -
The total, then, he must pay was four
teen hundred and thirty-four dollars.
"Whewr exclaimed Mr.. Simpklns
angrily. There's young Henry VII
kins, who married Jake JohnsOn's girl,
he makes $1,000 and he doesn't pay a
cent. of taxes / guess this is hie war
as well as miner
Thinking Of young Henry wilkins,
he remembered that Mrs. wilkins went
every afternoon to make bandages for
the Red Cross and that Henry, who