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Show showed 167.CS units of government. Today, according to a count made by the Illinois tax commission, there are only 161,144. These taxing units consist of 118,667 school districts, 19,303 townships, 16,450 Incorporated cities, 3052 counties and 3624 miscellaneous. ' However, to balance that cheering newt for the chap who foots the bill of government, the V. S. treasury department reports the nation's total tax bill last year amounted to almost 15 biUlon dollars. In case that doesnt sound very big to you as a result of the recent spending spree which has made a billion sound about like a million did 25 years ago, that 15 billions in taxation averages out to $470 a year per family In the United States. The taxing was divided as fpllows: Uncle Sam took Just a little over six billions; state governments took a little less than four billions? and local governments siphoned about five billions bil-lions out of your pockets. . Property taxation was'the biggest revenue producer, with almost five billions. Income taxation tax-ation netted a little over three billions. The new payroll taxes took In a billion and a half. Various sales taxes, including those on liquor, tobacco and gasoline, produced almost four billions. Other miscellaneous taxes made up -the helenec. The U. S. treasury's study reported one thing which la responsible for many a taxpayer's tax-payer's headache. Each of the 10 major taxes Is levied by more than one level of government and many are levied by all three, that Is, federal, fed-eral, state and local. With three or more governments ganging up on him like that, each socking him one after the other, it's no wonder the poor taxpayer comes up for each round of the tax battle a lit-tie lit-tie groggier and nearer collapse than In the lait. And Just to keep the record straight, we'lTsay again that EVERYONE Is a taxpayer these days, whether he pays the taxes directly on income and property or Indirectly hidden In the rent he pays or the prices of the things he buys. Good and Bad News for Taxpayers DECENTLY the Federation of Tax Admin- Istrators was responsible for a bit of good news to taxpayers. During the past five years, the federation reported, 6500 local governmental bodies with taxing power have been eliminated. In 1934 aouat made by the U. S. bureau of the census |