Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-04-13

i910-Corporation tax ........$ 20 951, 7S0 81
1911-Corporation tax ......... 80 SIG, 1859
l912-Corporation tax ......... $3.50. 1903 q
l9l3-CorpOration tax ......... 35,O06, 299 "a
1914-Corporation excise tax. 1851, OF %
19l4-Corporation income tax 80, 456, So 81
1Yl4-Individual income tax. Is, 253, 534 S5
l9i5-Emergensy revenue... 81, loss, 1876 %
l915-Corporaton income tax 80, 155, 596 n
l915-Individual income tax HO46162 90
l916-Emergency revenue. "a, 27S, 3O2 10
lS16-Corporation income tax Sc, 1893 657 9S
l916-Individual income tax. 81, 943 594 SO
1917 Emergency revenue. .. 81, 297, 553 SO
19l7-Corporation income tax 179, 81, SS7 So
l917-lndividual income tax. $50, los. $40 10
l9lS-1ncome and excess prof
It's tax Observation-Disclosures. ,S3S. 999, S94 %
l9l9-lncome and excess prof
us TAX 596, OOS, IU2 70
The number of corporations max
ing income tax returns showing tax
able income, aggr gated 2,49S in the
calendar year 1909, and that number
increased to 232,079 for the calendar
year 1917. The number of individuals
making personal income tax returns
aggregated 357 ,59S for the calendar
year 1913, and that number increased
to 3,472,89O for the calendar year 1917.
For the fiscal year 1909 the total
ordinary receipts aggregated $603, $685.
1884, of which $500, III 1895 came
from customs duties, $246,212, 643. 80
came from internal revenue, and the
balance was received from the sale of
public lands and other miscellaneous
items; whereas, for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 1919, the total re-
ceipts from customs amounted to SIS4.-
457, S67.39, while the internal revenue,
including income taxes and corpora.
ton and excess profits taxes, amounted
to $3.50, 95O,612.0
So you will see that until 1910 the
money you paid toward the support
Of the government was slipped away
from you so easily that you hardly
knew anything about 1t. You did not
know that You were paying taxes to
the national government.
Indirect taxation is the most Sc.
ductlve form Of raising public rev.
enue. You never came in contact with
the federal government except when you
bought postage stamp. But now you
know it every time you buy drink at
soda fountain. or bottle of medi-
cine, or sand telegram. or make a
long-distance telephone call, or per.
form any one of a score of other nor
NAL activities of daily life. Some
thing must be put in the kitty for the
government. Its annual rakeoff runs
into the billions. You pay II and the
government spends it.
But all that part of the party is
about over now. The oysters have
been eaten and put in the bill. They
must be paid for. 1t is perfectly clear
that in the future by far the greater
part of the revenue required for cou-
Quoting the public business must come
from direct taxes. 1t is also clear
that the ordinary expenses for rum
ming the government will In future
probably exceed four billion dollars a
year. That is lot of money to take
out of your pockets, and mine. Hadn't
we better see what is done with il. aud
whether we can save any of it? Con-
gress. which is very far-sighted. and
able, when its own skin is concerned.
to distinguish hawk from hand
saw at very great distance, is be
ginning to take notice.