March 11: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
ON THIS DAY IN 1923, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle reported, “With only four more days left before all those owing income tax to Uncle Sam, the people of Brooklyn have thus far shown no special initiative and, in fact, are somewhat lax in paying their taxes. Last night a staff of twenty five clerks worked on the second floor of the Federal Building until 6, and according to a statement made by John Cooper, chief deputy collector, the number of receipts filed to date is about the same as was filed for the corresponding date last year. An eleventh-hour rush is expected by Collector Rafferty, who has announced that for the first three days this week the offices of the Income Tax Bureau will be kept open until 9, and that on Thursday operations will not be suspended until midnight. Besides the number of clerks working with inquiring citizens in aiding them to make out their tax returns, there is a large staff of clerks in the mailing department, and according to Chief Cooper, Monday morning will witness the largest amount of mail received this year.”
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ON THIS DAY IN 1940, the Eagle reported, “LONDON (AP) — Great Britain and France have informed Finland that they are ready ‘to proceed immediately and jointly to the help of Finland’ with ‘all available resources’ if the Finnish government should ask for ‘further aid,’ Prime Minister [Neville] Chamberlain told the House of Commons today. Later a statement from his office said that ‘the Prime Minister desires to make it clear that no appeal for further aid has yet been received from the Finnish government.’ Chamberlain refused to answer a question if Britain was ‘proposing to send troops to Finland’ and ‘if so, are they preparing to violate the neutrality of Norway and Sweden in doing so.’ As to whether further British-French help for Finland — the Allies already are sending material aid — would be tantamount to going to war against Russia, Chamberlain said: ‘We have not arrived at that yet.’”