Evening star., 1941-09-20

ing away a certain amount each
week Just for income tax payment?
Well, I tell you. SO few that un-
less the Government lends a guid-
ing hand the clinks or prisons Will
be so crowded that thousands will
have to wait their turn to serve
their time. Even if temporary Gala
booses are built on every vacant lot
there won't be enough cells to go
around, and reservations will have
to be made in advance, even by those
who know the warden and have a
pull.
A few years from now this prob
lem won't exist, because We will.
either have become accustomed to
terrific taxes or the Government
will take it all and we'll have moth
ing to worry about. But right now
the suddenness with which we have
been so severely taxed has most Of
us completely staggered. It's hard
for us to remember that we have
a silent partner now who gets hugs
share of the profits.
My belief is that the silent part
ner, or the Government shouldn't
be so silent. but should do every-
thing possible to keep reminding us
that he is our partner and is going
to get his share even if he has to
take it out of what we have already
spent.
The Treasury Department could
help by changing the style of the
dollar bill It should have glaring
warning printed across the face Of
it to start with-some slogan tha-
would leap out at you whenever
you went to spend dollar. You'd
think twice before you frittereo
away bill that said:
Very little of this is really yours
pal"
Or stop thief"
Or IT'S draft in Leavenworth."
The color of bills should be
changed, too. Green and orange
are much too gay. Bills should be
somber gray with black border
to remind us at all times that death
and taxes are inevitable.
Here's another way the Govern
ment could make most of US feel
better about saving what We have
TO save.
1t could require that newspapers
print the tax tables in reverse
order. As it is now the papers print
a table that shows the small in
comes and probable taxes on top,
and works down to the big incomes,
They should be turned right around
so that the first thing that would
strike the eyes would be the taxes
that a man with a net income of
s5,00O.000 has to pay. 1t happens to
be $3,923,124. The psychological
effect on the average taxpayer
would be terrific. He would be so
pleased at not having to get to-
gether S3,923 l24 between now and
March that he would start to smile.
AS he read down he would chuckle
at not having to pay the 81 ,523 ,13l so
that the man with the $4,000 900 in
come has to pay.
And so on down the list. BY the
time he finally got to his bracket
it wouldn't seem nearly so much as
If he had started reading the tax
table the way it is now printed. AS
1t is, the lowest tax, which is only
So, is the first thing he sees and
he is bound to get discouraged if he
has to read on down past all the
people who get off so light.
x
The Government should get sign
ed testimonials from taxpayers who
have cut down on expenses In order
to have a happy March IS. These
testimonials from taxpayers, who
pOIIlI OuG IIlS dCl4Sllt Va odCA LlSSs
should be published everywhere.
Il have never had a better time
since I stopped playing polo in order
to save for my income tax" says
Arthur J. Troutman.
"Croquettes made from leftovers
of leftovers was the hit of my
luncheon party" says Mrs. Willy
Nilly.
In other words, Uncle Sam, don :
overlook a trick in making us re-
member that what is ours Is mostly
yours.
distributed by McNsught Syndicate. Inc