Evening star., 1895-05-22
Failure of the Income Tax Will Not
Cause One.
TREASURY BALANCE TO Be INCREASED
Commissioner Miller to Keep His
Clerks Until July.
THE WAR TAX AID

1t Is almost certainty that there will be
no extra session of Congress in conse-
quence of the failure of the income tax
law. Members of the administration who
are undoubtedly fully acquainted with the
Presidents views and purposes state un-
hesitatingly that an extra session Of Con-
gress Is out of the question. Nor is there
the least likelihood of another bond issue.
The treasury now has a balance Of over
s102, ,OOO,0OO which is available for all pur-
poses, and this amount Is more likely to be
increased than diminished during the next
few months 1t is argued that the ap
preaching fruit canning season Is certain
to make largely increased demand for
sugar. which, owing to the small supply
on hand, must be imported. The revenues
from this source are confidently expected
to reach several millions. and this, added
to the large amounts which very soon will
begin to come in from renewed liquor IL
censes. will largely augment the revenues.
expectations.
Increase of Revenues.
ALI licenses expire on June 80 in each
year, and. judging from last years reve-
nues, the receipts this year from this
source will exceed $6OOO,0O0, which must
be paid within the next forty days. In
down to the lowest point consistent with
good business principles. Until the finances
of the country are in a more satisfactory
condition it is thought that the expendi-
lures account of public buildings will
be limited to the actual necessities of each
case. Little new work will be begun that
can be safely delayed, and the ordinary
running expenses of the government will
be looked after with a view to enforcing
the utmost economy. The disbursements
on ACCOUNT of pensions and interest are
almost the only calls on the government
that cannot be put off. Already this fiscal
year the pension payments have reached
nearly $13O,OO0,00O.
No DlvulSences Feared.
No uneasiness Is felt at the internal reve-
nue. bureau as to the danger of the con-
tents of income tax returns being divulged
by employees. Commissioner Miller in Sc
lecting the force of deputy collectors who
handle these returns used the greatest care
to employ only men of the highest char
acter, and he has no fears that any one
Of them would prove SO recreant to the
trust imposed in him as to disclose the
contents of the returns. In any event.
however. the department has no doubt but
that any violations of the law as it stood
can be promptly and Summarily punished
under the general laws and 1t can be stat
ed that should any employe be detected in
making public any Information he may
have obtained while in government employ
no time or expense would be spared in
bringing him to Justice.
Notwithstanding that the law under
which it was created has been wiped out,
there is considerable work yet before the
income tax division in connection with the
closing up of income tax matters. There
are thirty five clerks In the DIVISION, nearly
two-thirds Of which number were trans
ferred from other bureaus of the Treasury
Department. 1t Is Commissioner Miller's
intention to provide for their future en-
ployment, If possible, and, at any rate, to
defer their dismissal until the last possible
date. The probabilities are that the division
will be left intact up 10 the 1st of July, at
the earliest. Mr.. Thompson is chief of the
division. When 1t is abolished he will prob
ably be transferred to another Office.
Income Tax During the War.
Commissioner Miller told Star reporter
that he had heard nothing officially of an
effort being made to secure the refund of
the tax on incomes collected during the
war. The laws under which the war tax
on incomes were collected were substan-
TALLY the same, it is said as the law which
the Supreme Court has just declared un-
constitutional. The total collections from
incomes under the war measures were
$S4I 100000. Commissioner Miller said if
the question was raised as to the refund of
this money it would have to be dealt with
by Congress.
Commissioner Miller says that the re-
turns which have been made by would-be
taxpayers all over the country will not be
returned. They are records of the govern
nlent, he says, and must be retained, un-
less Congress orders otherwise. Under
former laws thesa returns were made pub
lock and key, and guarded from the pub
lie as zealouSiy as State Department