The Washington times., 1936-03-13
By HELEN ESSARY

that to my surprise I found the
music dulcet. Practically sympa-
thetioue. The officials had most
feared were as kind as santa
Claus.
Big signs in every corridor OF
the shiny new Bureau of Internal
Revenue Building said: Follow
the arrow to Room 1902, Income
Tax Unit"
Walking long distances to the
right and left, suddenly saw
straight ahead a waiting line OF
unfortunate people, standing out
side a door at the end OF a long
vista.
Room 1902, undoubtedly!
Dejectedly I took my place at
the foot of the line. A polite clerk
spoke to me. -~e asked:
big or little incOme?'
I replied sadly:
"Quite little"
"Earned?"
"COmpIetely."
"Then 20 on through the room
and turn to the left"
In the big room were perhaps
200 desks. At every desk sat a
deputy revenue officer with a
pencil md pad and an income tax
blank. Beside each deputy was an
harrassed citizen, whispering hope
fully of his meagre assets and his
fearful liabilities.
AS passed down the aisle be-
tween the desks I saw many dis
tinguished citizens who sometimes
walk the earth proudly. They were
pale and anxious. I heard such
Bnatches of their conversation as:
''My expenses for this last
year have been frightful."
ooh, yes, I have given .
great deal to charity"
"Oh, no. that stock paid no
dividends"
It was like listening at open
confessionals while sinners told
their stories and begged for
mercy.
The small income tax room
was not as crowded as the big
tax room. Probably symptom
Of returning prosperity. A snlil-
ing deputy UP and said:
"Are you looking for a little
helm. Come this way"
presented him promptly with
) o long heavy folder. plus dupli-
Gates in white and blue. They
had come through the mails to
me.
The night before 7 had sat
with knotted brow and miserly
spirit, filling in almost every lit
tie blank I met.
''What are these things?" said
the deputy, tearing my paper
and calculations to bits and drop
ping the bits into the waste
paper basket.
''WeTI do it right now"
I felt that I was in confes-
sional like those big income tax
people.
What had given to charity?
The amount seemed very little
@6 j SpOhO ~ sOAL 4OOOs AA40 AAA
my exciten1ent mentioned the
wrong charities The deputy said:
'Tf you have lived with your
husband for q year, you get an
exemption"
Beautiful reward for virtue!
And so profitable!
Many questions the deputy
asked as he figured swiftly. My
financial life, practically my soul,
was being laid bare for the world
to see.
I was vaguely conscious of pet
tinesS and evaSionS. don't know
what evaded, but I had a feel
ing I wasn't telling the truth
about anything.
Then the voice of the deputy:
"Can you hold up your hand
and swear SOlemnly swear in
the presence of God that you
have told the whole truth and
nothing but the truth?"
held UP my hand and said
weakly:
81 do swear"
Signing thankfully that this was
over, I said how very kind he had
been. He had practically made
taxation a pleasure.
Then / rose quickly. A very
pretty blonde was waiting to tell
the deputy all. She had won
$4,000 on a sweepstake and what
must she do?
"Gee!" said the deputy and hur.
ried the blonde into the Big In.
come Tax Room.
The traffic bureau, my next
misery, was jammed, practically
to the doors with most of the
races of the world. BlNck, white
yellow and sun tan.
But need space for this part Of
the tale. And there's another
column tomorrow.
"nNEV FnR