The Alaska daily empire., 1920-02-20
ERICH LITTLE POOR MANI IS
 AN ACTUAlHy
Income Tax Returns Show Surprises in Salaries of all , Classes of Labor


 NEW YORK, Feb. 19.-Plumbers who pay income taxes are no longer the, "aristocrats of labor," according to < William II. Edwards, United States Internal Revenue Collector Tor the Second and Third Districts of New York, in whose district this year more than $1,500, 100000 will be gathered up for Uncle Sam. o., ~
 High wages and profitable overtime says Mr. Edwards, have raised to the income tax paying list such workers as longshoremeno garment makers, paper hangers, railroad brake men, chauffeurs, sailors, truck drlV CTS and piano movers. And doht forget the chorus. girls. the movie stars, and the hotel walters, de- clared the collector, adding that some of the latter are making more than $5,o00 a year in tips alone
 Street car conductors and motor men in Brooklyn. for instance, he said, have made as much as $60 week and, if their yearly income eA- ceeds S1,O00 for a single man or 3D. GOO for the head of family, they will be required to contribute their share toward the cost of running the gov ernment Mir. Edwards cited a few instances without. of course, mention ing any names, of bootblacks, milk wagon drivers and bellboys who in 1919 earned in excess of their ex- emption and who will be required to file returns.
 Payments Cease March IS
 Payment of the income tax began on January and will continue until midnight of March 15 at which time all returns must be in to escape the possibility of a maximum of $1,000 fine for delinquency. While Collec tor Edwards was opening his mail the other day out fell check for s2,883.515.39. representing the pay ment of corporation tax with pen alty and interest. The next letter he opened was from Montclair. N. J.. which is also in his district. It had been registered to pay an income tax of $137
 - A recent caller at the Collectors of fee was, a woman whose net income was 65 cents, Her tax amounted to four acents She wanted to know if she would be permitted to make the payments "quarterly." When told she could she smiled and said she guessed she would pay it all at once o r d IA, ndad avo,, fo,.,, ch in; pof r,appiae3 and took her receipt. Another patri. otfc citizen--foreign born-filed 2 careful return showing that he had nc income which was subject to taxa tion. At the bottom of his return was the following: "No tax due but would like to pay some tax and enclose for $f00."
 Collector Edwards said that, un. der the law, he was not permitted to accept the check but that he for wafded it to Commissioner Roper in Washington to dispose of as he saw fit. This year the income tax rate is less than last, Mr. Edwards said the normal rate being 4 per cent on the first $4,000 of net income above the exemption and per cent on the remaining net income instead of 6 and 13 per cent as in 1918.
 e'Offhand." said the collector lone would hardly think that a longshore- man came within the requirements of the income tax law. Certainly he did not 9 few years ago when many of them found it hard 10 make a living In the past year or two, however many lougshoremen have been mak ing from $3,000 to $5.000 year.
 v Actors Must Dig Up
 The income tax also hits some members of the theatrical profes sion pretty hard. Some of these act ors including motion picture stars. perhaps make as high as $200 and $500 week for six months in the year. They live we'll and by the time theft income tax payment is due may be out of an engagement. They are confronted with good-sized tax without any immediate means. It is then up to them to get it.
 Last year my investigators found many diamond merchants have been doing business in this country four or five years without paying taxes. We got after them and increased our returns by more than s1,000.0o0. Some of the actresses who were de- lipquent last year said they did not pay because they could not figure out just how much they were exempt pecauset of the cost of their gowns, taxicabs and other luxuries. A 90 per cent penalty was imposed because of their failure to pay when the taxes were due.
 "Income taxes" said the collector, should be figured as a liability just as insurance. interest on a mortgage or yonr winters coal bill Then when the time comes for payment it wills not be a hardship. Nearly 2o,- 600 persons were fined last year for failure to file returns. A certain stOckbroker made $200.000. He filed his return showing a tax of $40,0OO. He defaslted in his payment. how