Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-06
,$5,000,0O0 INCOMES
BY TEN AMERICANS
Lawyers Richest Of Professions;
90 Per Cent Of Taxes Paid on
$4,000 or More a Year.

Washington, Aug. 6.--N the Sl73,
00O, 900 personal income tax collected for
tcrs in all fields shouldcrcd Just onc-third
Of the burden, labor OS6 per cent of it,
and the remainder came from the multi
tudinous ranks Of those whose incomes
were classed as derived from business
and services
Embraced within the latter classes is
every calling from that of banker to the
farmer with ecant acre, and, in the
profession, from the practitioner of inter
national law to the modest chiropodist.
10 HAVE $5,OO0,O 1000 INCOMES.
Ninety per cent of the total tax was
derived from those fulsome incomes of
more than S25 900, and l.66 per cent from
those of the S. 900 class and less, although
the latter constituted more than a third
Of the total 437 900 returns. The highest
average rate OF tax actually paid upon
net income subject to tax was 129 per
cent, which fell upon the highest income
class of 5000, 900 and over. Only ten IN
dividuals, however. bore the burden of
that rate They contributed 3,OOO,OU
n the total tax The average rate of tax
paid declined through the income classes
10 minimum of .2S per cent for the
s.. 900 to $4,000 class.
Although incomes of 100000 and
more constituted only l.5 per cent OF the
total number of returns, they paid nearly
threelourths of the total tax.
'Troperty" income from stocks, bonds,
rents, royalties and all money-wOrking
sources nearly one-hnif OF
the net total Of six billion dollars reported,
even in the face of the exemption of oil
dividends, amounting 20 exactly third
Of the total net income returned, bore
nearly its proportlonate one-half OF the
total tax because of the much higher
proportion 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.
MARRIED MEN THE RICHER.
As an evidence of the inducements to
thrift In matrimony the returns of married
men, making due deduction tor joint re-
turns Of husband and wife, indicated their
wealth at more than five times that of
single rnen as shown by their returns, the
former bearing a corresponding burden
of the tax except for exemption In the
81, 900 to 81 900 class amounting to about
6 per cent OF their total income reported
Although for the country at large, the
returns of single men were double those of
single women, the six New England
States were conspicuous exception 70 the
rule. The total income reported by single
men in that section exceeded by barely
Is per cent rhc total income Of single
women, bearing testimony either TO the
superior independence and earning cap
aeity OF the New England women or re-
luctance TO share inherited riches IN
matrimony. The District of Columbia and
Hawaii were also conspicuous In that
respect, showing about equal returns for
single men and women.
FOUR SALESMAN GET 500 900.
A striking eccentricity in the report is
The return N the skilled and unskilled
labor class of twenty-five incomes above
the $50, 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, IS did two
saloon keepers, one professional sports
man, eighteen hotel proprietors, and
twenty-five insurance agents. Actors,
Gneers and musicians to the number of
e14 showed . total income of S11 Us 900,
. net average Of over $4,000 and
possibility 10 stimulate the other 10, 900
not making returns. Five of these incomes
authors, editors and reporters there were
l6 incomes of better than 800 900, and
two above 5000 Twelve ministers
Of the gospel showed incomes of more
than Sc, 700.
LEGAL Profession RICHEST.
The legal profession earned the greatest
total incomes among professions, although
the average income among engineers was
higher
OF the 5000 manufacturers in the
country in 1915, one in every ten made
returns, paying total Of II per cent Of
the tax; of the merchants, one In ten made
returns, paying l2.5 per cent OF the tax;
of commission brokers IN all fields, one II
FIVE, paying per cent; real estate brokers,
one In four, paying 0S3 per cent; lawyers
and judges, one in FIVE, paying 2.5 per
cent; mine owners and operators, one in
six, paving 4 per cent. One farmer In
about every four hundred made returns,
paving an aggregate of one per cent of the
tax, one teacher I'D every two hundred,
one clergyman IN about every seventy
FIVE.
NEW YORK LEADS ALL.
The three States reporting the greatest
total incomes were, IN the order Of their
returns, New York, Pennsylvania and
ILLINOIS. New Ork, Win nearly Two
billions, reported almost q third OF the
total returns This, however, is not
an accurate indication of the actual
wealth Of State, for persons file returns
wherever they reside regardless of where
their investments or properties are. 1t ls
a fairly accurate indication, however, Of
where that much income is spent.
The net personal income reported in
1916 totaled 5000, ,OO0, 900, an increase
of s., ,4OO, ,OO0, 900 over 1913, or about 40
per cent.
Corporate returns for 1916 showed a
total net income of IS, 700, ,0O0, coo, an
increase of more than three billions over
1915 and five billions over 1914, or more
than 100 per cent Of the 34l 900 corpora
tions reporting, 40 per cent showed no net
earning, which, however, was a lower
tero2 utage than In preceding years.
OF the $l72 1000, 600 corporate tax
collected, l7.5 per cent of it was drawn
from public utilities, IL per- ent from iron
and steel production, and per cent from
mineral operations. The remainder came
largely from miscellaneous manufacturing
industries, banking and insurance COM
pAnies. and merchandising companies
New Employment Office.
The United States Employment office
.~avnd branch in New Castle Yesterday