The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-07
DIRECT TAXES FALL HEAVILY ON THOSE
 WITH BIC INCOME
2,319,000 Persons With In- comes of S3000 or LessPay Only S22,395, ,OO0, Aver
 aging Less Than $1O

Washington, December 6.-Direct taxes fell heavily on corporations and on persons having large incomes and lightly on the great majority of per- sons earning less than $3OOo year, it was shown today by the annual report of Internal Revenue Commissioner Roper for the year ending last June 30. Although 2,319,ooo persons withs in comes of $3000 or less in 1917 filed re- turns, including many heads of families having incomes ranging between slooo and $200O, which were reportable put not taxable they were assessed only $22, 1895, 900 in the aggregate, or less than $1O each. On the other hand, 665,ooo ln- diyidua1s with incomes of more than 5000 were assessed $592, 613,000.
 Corporation excess profits taxes Of $2,045.71300O came from 117,000 con- cerns. while 31S,00o corporations were assessed income taxes of $48slI5,V0O. Other assessments by classes were as follows Insurance companies income taxes, 21oO returns, $3,072,O00; railroad companies income taxes, 4069 returns, $29.S7S, 900; individuals subject to ex- cess profits tax, 31,000 returns, SSS,731,- 900; partnership excess profits tax, 37,- 500 returns, $92, ,125,000; intuition man. ufacturers, 224S returns, $9,41S,000. Ac- tual collection figures differed slightly from the assessments.
 / COLLECTION REPORTS
 Revised reports on collections show that $3,694, ,619,0 900 was collected from internal revenue, including S2,S3S,999,- 900 from income and excess profits taxes, $317,553,000 from distilled spirits, $126, 6,285,000 from fermented liquors, a total of $443, ,83S, 900 from all liquors and $156,1SS,0 900 from tobacco.
 The year 1918 marked the beginning of new era of taxation, commented MT. Roper, because the bulk came from income and profits taxes rather than from liquor, as in previous years. In 1914, under the first income tax law, only 16 per cent of total internal rev. enue collections were from income and excess profits taxes whereas in 1918 76 per cent came from these sources.
 The commissioner explained how the bureau had sought the advice of busi- ness interests in administering taxes last year to minimize the difficulties in reporting and assessing taxes, and said this policy would be continued.
 The report deals with the efforts ot the bureau to suppress the illicit man. ufacture and sale of intoxicants under the head conservation of man power 1 and war materials"
 2238 DISTILLERS FOUND
 Illicit distilleries," the report con- tinues, numbering 223S, were found principally in the southeastern sections, long notorious for tmoonshinin& Of these seizures 746, or exactly one-third, occurred within the single state of North Carolina, 95 per cent of the illicit distilleries were seized within the six states of Alabama, Florida, North Caro- lima, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vir- ginia.
 Besides illicit disti1lerfes seized, 1S49 illicit stills were seized and destroyed, of which half were discovered in Geor gia and North Carolina. During the past year 'moonshiners' have been un- usually active in the Piedmont section and in other localities adjacent to the army camps and cantonments A special