The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-08-01

the law, careessness or wilful intent to
defraud the State have not filed returns
The money derived from the income tax
is being apportoned among the cities and
towns Of the State and reports coming back
to Albany are to the effect that 1t Is being
welcomed with all the enthusiasm accorded
the return Of conquering hero, as II fills
the financial gap made through the passing
OF John Banleycorn and the loss thereby to
the State of millions of dollars in excise
revenue, which the towns and State always
divided on fifty-fifty basis.
While on the subject of excise and John
Barleycorn II Is interesting to record that,
oddly enough, most of the income tax money,
the raising OF which was made necessary
because Of the prohibition amendment-and
here Is where William II. Anderson and the
other Anti-Saloon Leaguers cut in with the
hig laugh-howed into the State treasury
through the famous old Savarin barroom in
the Equitable Building.
When prohibition came the Savarin. for
years the most popular recreation spot for
tired business men in the financial district
threw up the sponge In the search for a
large and convenient headquarters for New
York and New Jersey taxpayers State
Comptroller Travis hit upon the vacant
Savarin and artists worthy Of diplomas
in the Carrie Nation school scrApped the
place,
The famed mahr gany bar was succeeded
by long counter, and instead of smiling
white coated mixologists behind it stood
senior and junior auditors engaged in the
dry task Of filling out income tax blanks
Over in the corner where in the old days
the hungry were cheered steel cashiers
cages loOmed up and the restful brass rail
was replaced by a chilly gas pipe rail lead
ing straight to the cashiers window.
One of the persons who seemed to get
thy most consolation out Of the change was
the information man in the Equitable
lobby, who said he had little trouble direct
ing the men taxpayers to the income tax
office. for when he mentioned it was the old
Savarin bar they nodded knowingly and
started travelling ION high" for the former
life saving station.
Director Graves is authority for the stale
ment that every effort will be made to col
lect the tax from all persons coming within
the provisions of the law, Three divisions
have already been created The collection
division, handling that part of the tax paid
voluntarily; the investigation division, deal
ing mostly with delinquents, and the audit
division, concerned entirely with the ques-
ton of whether or not the individual filing
the return has paid the right amount OF taA.
Where the tax has been overpaid refunds
are now being made-sO, cheer up-but, on
the other hand, an additional tax is being
requested where the taxpayers ran out Of
arithmetic and did not make the first check
large enough,
The Most Perplexing Task.
Deductions made by taxpayers furnish the
most perpleXing work for the auditors This
is particularly true of the returns of mem
bcrs of the theatrical and motion picture
profession. Under the law show and pic
ture people were permitted to deduct from
their incomes money paid for wearing ap-
pare makeup, travelling and all other ex-
Lenses having to do with their professional
engagements An examination of returns
shows that deductions for clothing form the
principal item, at least among screen and
stage stars.
Popular artists of the screen are required
il appears, to carry an endless variety OF
expensive clothes and wear the latest Gre
atons, as a third or fourth appearance in
the same gown is taken by the feminine pic
tdre fans as an indication that their favor
ite star is going back" The cost of gowns
reached a new high water mark in 1919
Judging from the sums set down for ap-