The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-03-23
By ROBERT McBLRlR.

'
been promoted for valOr during the
Civil War and had died bravely on the
field of action. Mr. Simpktns' throat
ached now for two reasons: FIRST, ne
reverenced and adored the memory or
his father; secondly, bis nge and MS
eyes and his game leg wouldn't let him
80 10 VIZ himself And as he observed
the martial bearing and uncompromls-
Ing gaze Of Colonel Simpklns he saw.
IN Imagination, the khaki clad iads or
the new generation marching forth and
crossing three thousand miles Of sea 10
fight. maybe die, for liberty.
Mr.. Sinpkins peered around to make
sure that neither Bess nor John tWhO
were at the teasing ages Of sixteen
and s"venteen) were where they could
see him then he Strengthened and
threw his right arm up for q salute,
Blu; his equity shoulder winged, and be
groaned. lie couldn't even salute.
"DamnP said Mr Simpkins, and
with his other hand flercely twirled his
white mustachios.
He turned and limped into the IL
brary and SAT- down creakily before the
mahogany desk on which were lying
the hunks for hts income tax state
meat blanks which he had rather
grumpily got from the Internal Reve-
nue. officer only that day after lunch
con on his way home from the club.
MI. Simpkins' income for 1917 had
nh 10
had heen rather snappy on the sub
ct of taxes ever since he had dlScov-
cred that the more income q man has
the greater the percentage OF IT 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 a
, small fraction OF the amount he paid.
! He gloOlnily drew the blank nearer
and began filling In the information
| that II asked for.
As Mr.. Slmpkins' income WAS $1,000
| 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 1916 law on all income over
$1,000. deductlng 5000 for each of their
children under eighteen years In MIR.
! Simpkins' case this was 1912, which he
put down in the payable column.
He saw next that, under the 1917
! law, married men pay an additional Z
per cent. on all over S2,0O0-wfth 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 S3.0O
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 "Ex
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 tl,irty-four dollars.
"Whew exclaimed Mr. Simpkinl
angrily. "There's young Henry vii
kirs. who married Jake Johnson's girl
he makes $1,000 and he doesn't pay
cent. of taxes. ! guess this Is his wal
as we'll as mine"
Thinking of young Henry Wilkins
he remembered that Mrs. wilkins wen
every afternoon to make bandages TO
tho Red Cross and that Henry, WHIT
was A lawyer, was aiding the Loca
Draft Board with its Questionnaires.
well" he admitted to himself
that makes a difference
He thought next Of Judge Wiliough
by. whose income was about $4,000.
HE only pays $50" commented MI
Simpkins, not quite SO angriiy thi
time and then a thought struck hin
and he sat up rigdly in his chair.
Judge Willoughbys son had bee
: drowned on the Tuscania when 1t wa
summarized with the loss Of two hun
dred soldiers
Judge Willougnb. gave his son t
| America" muttered AIR, Simpkins.
He leaned forward suddenly and pu
his face in his hands.
For long time Mr.. Simpkins sa
very still In that position. There wa
no sound In the library except tn
ticking of the tall clock and an occa
sjonal trill of laughter from the chi
tren skylarking upstairs. The squar
of lighr on the carpet gradually witt
drew itself through the window. an
urst twilight and then darkness settle
In about the quiet white haired. some
times irascible old ran.
Mr., Simpkins was thinking thing
which he would never afterward spea
! Of. he WAS thinking things that wer
100 sacred ever to he put into word
But some inkling Of his thoughts ina
he found in his rejoinder to Mr.
Simpkins when that placid lady cam
in and turned OF the lights, and aske
him whether he was ready for Dime
"Judge Willoughby's only son wa
worth as much 40 fourteen hundre
and thirty-four dollars, wasn't he
MIR, Simpkins demanded OF her.
AS his wife, who was not unused
his superficial irritations, watched hi
In mild establishment, Mr. SimpklI
) Umped out to the hal; anu took h
old felt hat and silver-headed ear
from the hat rack Letting himself OF