The Washington herald., 1910-02-18

"The Republicans are in an awful fix
about this business" said Champ Clark.
the Democratic floor leader, when some
body asked him yesterday what he
thought Of the Secretary of the Treas
urys request for $4,000 so that the re-
turns under the corporation tax law
might be made public and the statement
by Chairman Tawney. Of the House Ap-
propriations Committee. that this mat
ter must take its regular course.
This regular course" as Mr.. Tawney
explained, means that the item viii not
be handled by the Appropriations Com
mittee until the general deficiency bill IS
taken ue for consideration. AS this is
the last measure handled every session,
the chances Of the Secretary OF the
Treasury getting the $4,000 asked for al
an early date do not look particularly
bright
Some Of the House insurgents insist
that II the Appropriations Committee
chairman really thought the administra-
ton favored an appropriation OF $4,000
so that the returns from corporations
might become public property, or if he
had even received the faintest intimation
10 this affect, he would see 70 it that a
special bill was reported from his COM
mittee, carrying the amount in question
This is done every time there is an emer-
gency, it is pointed out, and there Is no
earthly reason why it couldn't be done
right now. according to the Democrats
and their near-friends and late allies, the
Republican insurgents.
Legislators Are Troubled.
Mr.. Tawney and his Republican col
leagues on the Appropriations Committee
viii not admit that there is any trouble
why said Mr.. Tawney yesterday,
'this matter will be handled in the regu-
lar order. The only appropriation bill
TO which this item can be logically tackled
is the general deficiency measure. and
the committee has not taken that up as
yet. When that bill is considered we
viii have a hearing or two on this item
and go about things in the regular way
Acting Secretary Of the Treasury Nor
ton has transmitted TO Speaker Cannon
an estimate by Internal Revenue Commits
sioner Cabell of $4,000 10 be made i'm
mediately available for use in the Dis
trict of Columbia for carrying into effect
the publicity clause Of the act so the re-
turns made under this act may be thrown
open 10 general inspection.
"To carry out what appears to be the
intent Of this section" says the commits
sioner, will necessitate rental Of quar-
ters outside of the Treasury building,
equipping them and organizing a force
Of clerks. messengers. and labOrers for
properly handling for public use the great
number of returns that will be made II
it was the intent Of Congress that the
returns made under this section Of the
tariff act were not TO be open to general
inspection, this appropriation need not
be granted"
CabeII Makes Regulations.
Internal Revenue Commissioner Cabell
yesterday made public the regulations
that win govern the returns under the
corporation tax law until Congress shall
have acted in appropriating the $50 900
that President Taft says is needed TO
make the publicity clause Of the act ef-
fective Copies Of the regulations have
been sent 10 all internal revenue cOllec-
tors and their agents. The regulations
provide that only the taxpayer itself, its
lawyer. or such persons as are designated
by the President or the Secretary OF the
Treasury. may have access to the re-
turns.
ANY person other than the taxpayer
making the return" the regulations state.
'or his duly appointed agent or attor-
ney who desires to see such return shall
make written application to the Secre-
tary of the Treasury, who in his discre-
tion VIII. upon a proper showing Of cause.
approve such request. A request thus
approved should then be presented to the
Commissioner OF Internal Revenue, who
viii thereupon permit the return in ques-
tion to be seen by the applicant upon
such conditions as the Secretary of the
Treasury shall have imposed"
Bill to Postpone Operation.
bill to postpone the operation Of the
corporation tax law from the fiscal year
1909 to the calendar year 1911 was intro
duced in the House yesterday by Repre-
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