Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1918-03-14
Mr.. sIMP:INs kYs
HIS INC0|E TAX
BY ROBERT MesklR.

re'crenceu anu auoTeu tnf temOrN ~
his father; secondly, his a. aud his
eyes and his game leg woulot let him
10 to war himself And as | observed
the martial bearing and unonpromIs.
ing gaze Of Colonel Simpkh hp saw.
IN Imagination, The khaki-cls lads ~
The new generation marchingorth and
crossing three thousand milel)f sea 10
fight, maybe die. for liberty.
Mr. Slmpkins pecred aroun Ia make
sure that neither Bess nor J,p twho
were al the teasing ages sixteen
and seventeen were where " could
see him, then he straIghtced and
threw his, right arm up for salute.
But his equity shoulder twlngc and he
groaneh He couldn't even sate.
DAMN" said Mr.. Simpk :. aud
With his other hand iercely tw-led his
white mustachios.
He turned and limped into the H.
brary and sat down creakily bore the
mahogany desk ON which WEI living
the blanks for his income "a State
ment blanks which he had rn her
grumpily got from the Interna Reeve
nue. officer only thar day afterlunch-
con on his way home from the cib.
Mr. Simpkins income FOR l!1 had
amounted to just about $4,000 nj he
had been rather snappy on II sub
ject Of taxes ever since he had iscov-
cred that the more income a mn has
the greater the percentage oft he
phys in taxes FTe could think sew
eral men who. like himself. wer mar
ried and had two children. arr yet.
although their incomes were Early
half OF his, they would payO iy n
small fraction OF the amount hepald.
He gloomily drew the blank rarer
and began filling I'm the information
that it asked for
As Mr. Simpkins' income was 5000
he had 10 figure out the amountspay-
able on each OF the successive smiler
classes OF incomes In order 10 arrive
at the tota due from himself lie
passed over the first class who ,ust
pay taxes. that is. single men maing
over 1000. His calculation for Iar.
ried men then showed up as follow:
First. they pay per cent. tuder
the 1919 law on all income yer
$4,000. deducting 500 for each Of cir
children under eighteen years lnIr.
Simpkins' case this was 1919. whic!he
put down In The payable" column.
He saw next that, under the D17
law. married men pay an addition, z
per cent on all over 5000 with he
same allowance for children. lis
added 1852 to his payable" column.
He then observed that for evry
- 800 jump In his income over $500
no had to pay a SurtaT. the psrcentse
growing larger with each Jump. It's
was $3.50 more added to his burda.
And on top Of all this came an ~
cess PROFITS" tax Of 8 per cent. on n
"occupA ton" income over 5000. mx.
Ing $40 more.
The total. then, he must pay was foe.
teen hundred and thirty -four dollars
"whewI" exclaimed Mr.. Slmpkis
There's young Henry w.
hinc. WIN JuAC JOnnSOn Kill
he makes $1,000 and he doesn't pay
cent Of taxes. I guess this is his we
az well ss miper'
Thinking Of young Henry wilkins
he remembered that Mrs. wilkins wen
every afternoon to make bandages foi
the Red Cross and that Henry, who
was a lawyer, was aiding the Local
Draft Board with IT'S questlonnaires.
WELL" he admitted to himself.
that makes a difference.
He thought next OF Judge wi1o,Igh-
by, whose income was about $1,000.
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 Willoughby's son had been
drowned on the Tuscania when Ii was
with the loss OF two hun
dred soldiers
Judge willouxhby gave his son to
muttered Mr.. Simpkins.
He leaned forward suddenly and put
his face In his hands
For long time Mr. Simpkins sat
very still In that position. There was
no sound In the library except the
ticking OF the tall clock and an occa-
sional triIl OF laughter from the chill
drcn skyiarking upstairs. The square
Of light OH the carpet gradually with
drew itself through the window. and
first twilight and then darkness settled
In about the quiet, white haired, some
times irasclble old man.
Mr.. Simpkins was thinking things
which he would never aftcrward speak
~. he was thinking things that were
too sacred ever to he put into words.
l,ut some inkling OF his thoughts may
he found In his rejolnder To Mrs.
Smpkins when that placid lady came
In and turned on the lights. and asked
him whether he was ready for dinner.
Judge Wllloughby's only son was
worth as much as fourteen hundred
and thirty-four dollars, wasn't he?"
Mr.. Simpkins demanded OF her.
As his wife. who was not unused to
his superficial irritatlons watched him
In mild astonishment, Mr.. Simpklns
linped out TO the hall and took bis
old felt hat and sllverheaded cane
from the hat rack. Letting himself out
INTO the foggy evening. he tapped his
way down to the corner and mailed his
income tax statement and check with
his own hands.
"Now. God be thanked" said Mr..
Simpklns as the lid clanked shut over
his ,nissive, II can do this much for
my country, anyhow"
Has Great Specific oravisy.