New-York tribune., 1921-03-16
100000 Rush
On Last Day to
Pay Income Tax
One Hundred Clerks at the
Custom House Swamped
as Third of $4,000 i'm
Manhattan Make Return
Corporations in Scramble
Receipts Can't Be Estimated; !;
More Divide Payments:
Less Cash Than in 1920

One-third of the $50 900 payers Of in
come taxes in Manhattan, either in per-
. son or by mail. made a rush on the
Custom House yesterday to pay their
'920 taxes before the time fixed for
the imposition Of penalties.
About so per cent of the 100000 cor
until the last day to file their sworn
schedules sent checks, money orders
and cash through the mail. The result
vas that. while the cffices of "Big Bill"
Edwards. Collector Of Internal Reve-
rue, were jammed with persons eager
to hand Uncle Sam sums of money
ranging from a handful of change to
thousands of dollars, the corridors Of
the building at Bowling Green were
choked with mail bags literally bullying
with wealth.
Similar conditions existed in all the
ether Internal Revenue districts Mr.
Edwards refused to make any estimate
OF the gross amount Of cash that would
accrue 70 the government from the in
4ome tax this year. Bertram ". Gard
ner, collector in Brooklyn, however,
predicted that delinquents would be
ever this year than formerly. He at
tributed it to TIL, publc's having be-
come more familiar with the income
taxation system.
100 Clerks Swamped
Aided by 100 clerks loaned by the
Federal Reserve Bank, Mr. Edwards's
staff began to make inroads on the long
lines of persons waiting 20 fill out their
schedules soon after the Offices opened.
but until long after dark the crowds
Increased faster than they were thinned
out. When Mr.. Edwards closed his desk
at midnight he said it probably would
take month to determine the exact
number of persons in Manhattan who
lied 1t was roughly estimated that at
ieast $4,000 would be added to last
years figure of 500 900.
Some queer conclusions were reached
by the clerks as a result of an exam
ination of the schedules lied yesterday
and during the last two weeks. They
were that:
More people are taking advantage Of
the privilege of dividing their tax into
tour quarterly payments instead Of
paying the full amount at once.
Cash Receipts May Be Smaller
The actual cash inflow may be smaller
this year than last, because of de-
preston in business.
The number of non taxable returns is
greatly in excess of last year, in spite
of the fact that more persons are paw
ing taxes.
Walters who are compelled to report
tips as income showed more pros
porous year that formerly. Some of
them reported their aggregate tips to
exceed the salaries of clergymen and
bookkeepers.
Artists, clergymen and literary men
and women made schedules which
seemed to indicate that their incomes
we're growing less.
W omen in filling out schedules ap-
pear to make more mistakes than men.
Prisoner Asks Thirty Days Extension
Among those who asked for thirty
days extension of time, which the law
Erarts IN some cases, was a prisoner in
the Tomps. On his application for an
extension was written Thirty DAYS
granted.
Mr.. Edwards said he expected to-
days mail to be even heavier than yes
terday's, because schedules mailed YES
terday, provided they are in envelopes
postmarked before midnight, will be re-
ceived.
Figures made public esterday bv
state Comptroller James A. Wendell
show that the total taxable income on
100000 returns filed in payment of the
l9l9 state income tax approached So
500 900. The tax on this was | per
cent.
These figures tell the story Of a pol-
den year in every business" said Mr..
Wendell.
Conce"nlng the incomes of clergvmen
and literary workers, the report saws:
Income tax records show that among
rlergymen and in the literary profes
sion, salary advances to meet tremen.
dous increases in the cost of living
!a'led to keep pace with salary jumps
IN other professions. The average net
income of the clergy subject to tax
alter including as income the rental
value OF the parochial residence or par
sonage,. although owned by the church
and prior to deducting the usual ex
cmptions. was $2,S65, while the literary
fraternity sh Owo1 an avoro,r, ~ GO cor J.