Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-03-12
TAX LINE BEATS
CHOW" RUSHING
Buck Private From ''Over
There" Finds Jam Here
Too Strenuous
CROWD REVENUE OFFICE
Income Levy Eligibles Storm
Clerks and Deputies to
Make Returns
CROWD REVENUE OFFICE


two gold stripes of year overseas. He
was used to "bucking" chow lines when
the mud is inches deep. But he baked
at the income tax lines in the federal
building this morning.
You might think they were handing
fided 10 a colonel who showed the COM
radeshp OF A. II. r. service by eX-
planning that buck privates nave no in
come tax to pay
We'll, l was a-wonderin'' he said
In his gas-husky voice, 'if we had to
line up and hand out from our $3S a
month"
But the colonel had to get into the
line as the buck" breezed out. for col
onels get more than the $4,000 service
exemption allowed Uncle Sans military
men.
The crowds that iammed the corridors
of the Federal Building grasping income
returns and checks were mostly of that
increasingly large class of citizens to
whom the year of our prosperity--l91s
brought more than $1,000 but less
than $4,000. The millionaires, for the
most part, send in their returns by
mail
Rush ENhausts Return sheets
The last-weeK rush was SO heavy that
the return sheets for this class of tax
payer were exhausted by > o'clock yes
terday afternoon, and Collector Lederer
franticaliy was wiring Washington for
additional forms. He said that several
hundred thousand forms had already
been distributed in this district. but
that the high wages of last year had
Increased the number of taxpayers be-
yond original estimates.
"We had 114,000 individual returns
last year" Collector Lederer said, but
expect many more this year because of
the higher wages paid In 1918. The
shipyard employees, for example, began
TO be numerous only at the beginning
of 1918. We may look for many thou
sand new taxpayers this year"
Under a new ruling of the Commits
sioner of internal Revenue last year
bridegrooms who paid their taxes eaBly
have a refund coming to them. This
new ruling allows the full exemption oil
$4,000 for married men for the entire
year, even though a man married on the
last day Of 1918. This applies also %
children born during the year. The S2Vu
exemption in full is given. though .he
child was born on December 81. Brlue-
grooms anx.ously crowded the revenue
office this morning trying TO get re-
funds in cases where they had pee.i
given advantage of the married man
exemption for only the part OF the year
following their marriage.
worried-looking men and women oi
all ages, sizes, dress and present con
dition of "wageitude' filed the second
floor corridors and the rooms or tne
internal revenue collectors onice' wiz
only four more days to get IN the retuI :
and pay one-fourth OF the tax tney
crowded in by thousands yesterday aho
the rush began again this morning
Tables had been placed IN the eoi
doris, where returns could be maue ou. o
Then long lines waited to pass oy w
men who took the required afhdaVits
Across the way another long line passed
to a man who made out the cheeks LOT
The tax. then came the line TO the
cashiers window. -,.
Any man who tried to pass through
the corridors without hat on was Ger
tain to be pounced upon hair ooZen
times by anxious citizens OF both sexes
irving to work out the puzzle OF the taA
return Any man who disclalmeu CON,
nection with the revenue ONCE was d
once looked upon with susplcloh pS
overwrought ladies, who thought tnt
government clerks were dodging WORN
But the ladies were wrong
Weary Clerks Return to Work
Back of the counter in the end rooms
of the collectors office thirty men strug
gled to work again this morning attel
spending all last evening clearing vi
their Job. There were forgetful womer
who Just at the moment of being sworr
to their return would recall that the!
paid $40 to the church last year, anC
that meant delay.
Then there were all sorts of puzzle
10 work out fer persons who couldn'
somehow understand the instruction
printed on the return.
"Now my husband gives me all hi
salary except carfare, every week" on
aggressive looking woman informed
clerk HE said he made the return, ant
think l stS1ld. Now do I?'
you'll have to fight that out for your
selves, lady" said the harassed deputy
The man who bore the brunt of at
tack from aggressive questioners witt
worried looks was Felix Garigrews, tn
unofficial hoorwalker of the lnterna
: Revenue Department He had smile a.
the time somehow and a way of making
worried locks vanish when women wer
old or men were not quite sure. H
waved them to this line or that; h
explained the law and the profits an
he managed thereby to keep the cor
ridors halfway clear and amiable.
The mad rush TO pay taxes will con
tinue until Saturday night at midnight
! when the time limit ends. In these las
days most of the taxes due from the dis
trict win come in. Although the rus
has been heavy every day this week. ex
perience has shown the collector that tn
jam will come in the last two days.
The revenue collection force has bee
augmented twice and more aides ma
be taken on for the last two days Ef
forts 10 prevent the rush at the Fedora
Building have been made by sending ou
to Industrial plants and shipyards
large part of the force of III specis
deputies now at work collecting IN
tax Persons are advised, II ii is pos
sible. to send their return accompanle
BY checks.
At least one-fourth OF the tax, du
must be paid when the return is fileC
And It must all be paid by June 80 i
installments which can be arranged. Bu
the great majority OF persons are pay
ing their tax in full as they file th
return.