Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-07-06

,,p p,cura,So Oh, an Il
another that
I'd paid too little.
In fairness TO them, don't
think l gave them enough infor-
nation on which TO base a deci-y
sion. Anyway, we finally talked
il over face 10 face, and agreed
that the correct amount OF tax
had been paid. regardless OF
what else might have been
wrong with the report. (Honest.
those complicated blanks always
get me mixed up. How about
your
And with everything settled
and forgotten about Tor so i
thoughD there suddenly came n
brand new demand. why"
asked n letter. haven't you filed
|. an Income tax return for the
wear 1902" IL added Insult
ingly, I thoughD that / had
earned $1,000 that year.
So I wrote the following
snippy letter TO John F. Kane,
deputy collector:
Dear Mr.. Kane-1 am return
ing the notice which you sent
me in the hopes that you will
come around 10 my way OF
thinking and throw this par
ticular file into the wastebasket.
Maybe you will throw one Of
YOUR clerks into the waStebasket
along with the file, although /
am by no means insisting on
that. ! Just think il would be a
good idea.
THE fact is that ! did file a
return for the year 1910 | also
paid a tax. | also engaged in a
certain amount Of discussion
with some OF the people in your
department regarding the return
and the amount paid. This dis
cuSSion. I assure you, was en-
iirely pleasant and We wound up
in perfect agreement on the
matter. But il was doggone
nuisance. II is even more Of a
nuisance 10 hear now that /
didn't file any return.
And in the third place. I am
somewhat hurt 10 have you say
that my income was only 81 ,02O
II was substantially more than
that. and If necessary | can
prove il by the return which |
filed in your office on certain
March Is.
"And besides that. is the
money have spent on postage
sending letters 10 tho internal
revenue service deductible on
my 1912 return. please"
Kitty read the letter, medita-
lively said she'd visit me In jail,
and stood by resIgnedly while I
mailed II.
Then came the following reply
from the government:
Dear Mr.. Pickering - Your
letter has been received and con-
tents noted by the writer.
After a little office research
IL appears 10 the writer that you
are entitled 10 both an eXplana-
ton and an apology.
after pulling the clerk out OF
the waStebaSket who was thrown
there pursuant 10 your sugges-
ton. information was brought to
light that seven John chickering's
filed income tax returns in De-
troit for the year 1910, and
every one Of the seven had adj
dresses different from the one
listed on the alary slip submit
ted 10 this. office by your former
employer. For your information.
that address was merely De-
troit. Michigan
This refugee from the waste
basket humbly told the writer
that. confronted with the situa-
ton, she just couldn't make up
her mind which one was the
.-cll-known Jack Pickering so
she sent tho slip down TO this
office for notification.
after consultation this morn
ing we have decided that the
return lich belongs TO you is
the one which reads John l..
Pickering. 2727 CaSS avenTc.' If
this should prove incorrect. I
would appreciate IL If you so
advise via the enclosed postage
paid. self-addressed envelope.
with respect 10 the postage
abduction, all l can say is that
u sounds like a good idea.
Your public servant,
HrNrFNy T. IFANvIs