The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-11-01
FIGHT NEW INCOME LAW
ST. PAUL WILL CARRY BATTLE
 BEFORE CONGRESS.
Insurgeut Law Makers Expected to Make Contest on Proposed New Corporation Tax Law for
 Northwest.

St. Paul, Minn.. Oct. sf.-(Specia)-
 Congress will again hear from the in-
 sureent country when 1t convenes Tn
 December. this time In the form of an
 emphatic protest against certain or
 the provisions of the new one per cent corporation tax law, notably that
 requiring minute returns of the years
 business to be filed in reports which after passing into rhe possession or the internal revenue collector become public documents and open to the in-
 spection of any interested citizsn.
 Rcpresentatives of the largest bus mess interests in St. Paul have aI- ready met to consider the wording of thee new law and have arranged to present their objections to congress through members of the Minnesota delegation and to make 6. potnted re- quest for the moderation of what are believed to be wholly unnecessary clauses Steps are also being taken to bring the effect of the new law to the attention of business corporations and business associations generally throughout the West. that they may join with St. Paul in presenting these new problems 10 congress.
 t. EAul DubAHeoD CONROt6ttOh@ IVY not object to the amount of the new tax or the manner in which 1t is lev- fed. but they have obtained ruling from Washington which makes 1t plain that their returns. upon the basis of which the new tax will be levied. win after they are made by the president or other principal officers Of each business corporation. become public documents open to the public.
 This feature of the operation of the law has aroused vigorous protest and results in every American city In many odd and unequal situations or which those in St. Paul are typical .
 The income tax law declared un- |constitutionai by the Supreme Court
 provided heavy penalties for anyone divulging information secured by gov ernnlent officials under the operation of the law. No such provision Is in- cluded in the new law, which directs that each corporation. including all mercantile and manufacturing firms
 which are incorporated. shall make e out the detailed statement required under the law and file 1t with the collector of internal revenue for the district in which the business Is locat- ed. once filed in the collectors or flee. these statements according to the DCuL AANAA "
 public property.
 In an endeavor to present their ob- iections to congress in forcible shape st. Paul interests have appointed
 strong committee which will imme- diately confer with business associa-
 tions In other cities and make plans to secure some consideration of the problems raised by the new law when
 congress convenes. One of the most Influential of the city's business men
 says of the new law:
 Tt is hard to see what public in-
 terest can be served by exposing to public examination the affairs of bus mess houses whose stock Is held by the few people engaged In them, sub
 stantially in all the confidence of partnership. especially when strong competing concerns arc allowed 10 es- cape because they are partnerships.
 Not A single member of congress has
 had a word to say with reference to protecting the very large class of bus mess houses which the law in this
 manner attacks. The income tax law lof 1894 gave protection from unnec- essary spreading abroad of confiden- tial information. If this law is to
 stand our business house should have the same protection"