The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-02-17
Officials Think Congress
viii Not Pass Publicity
Clause.
LOOKS LIKE DEFEAT
FOR GOVERNMENT
Argument Is Advanced That Onlv
Small Companies Would
Be Embarrassed.

That Congress VIII do nothing 10 make
provision for funds 10 carry into opera
ton the publicity features Of the cor
p'rat1ou tax law Is the belief that pre-
SUB SLUG CORPORATION TAX -
Treasury officials
Indications are that no specific arpro-
rrlatiou viii be made which ean ne used
% compile the reports Of the corpora
tons bind them. and keep them in the
Bureau OF Internal Revenue in such
form thar they VIII be available for ex-
animation b- the public.
In other words. II looks now as II the
corporations which have been strenu-
Cusly obiectiu- 10 publicity have won
their point The Treasury Department
has announced that 10y reae,n OF the
operation o. an old law Of 49,. none of
the money appropriated for the colIec-
ton OF the corporation tax ~au be used
within the District Of Columbia for the
purpose or publicity OF the reports OF
the corporations
President Approves.
Attorney General ANickersham takes
this view. and TIE President does like
wise At the same time. the President
has recommended thai Congress make
an appropriation on S5g.6lU tg provide for
publicity and mas gone on record as still
favOring publicity
Inquiry was made about The Treasury
and the Capitol today whether there
WOULD be an appropriation OF the neces-
sary money 20 bring about publicity. In
nigh Treasury quarters. the belief was
expressed that Congress would do moth
ilE- II also was inJimated Jnat there
vould De no strong pressure 10 have
anything done
IL was pointed ouJ that * had been
discovered that such corporations as
United States steel. the PENNSYLVANIA
Etallroad Company, ard q large list or
C-I"r DIX corporations which might He
named would disclose nothing new by
publicity. that the Government already
l. IN possession Of all the information
about them that II would be when re-
l'EIS were received under che CORPORA
ton tax law and that the only concerns
lH+t W1UlC have any secrets exposed
tlat might be embarrassing would be
the smaller corporations
Nay Not MateriaIize-
For this reason, there is good reason
L believe thar there VIII be no strong
i1slSJeUCe hy -he ADMINISTRATION on Con
gross making the appropriation to bring
bout publicity
More than this there vas intense oD-
position 10 the corporation tax I=yr in
Congress IN the first place. II was
passed only because the President fn-
sisted and to head off the income tax
law Many members OF Congress have
been hammered 1l corporations in rr -5r
districts To set the publicity features
o. the law toned down While most
members have HcsitaJed about this. they
can now accomplish the same thing BY
sitting down on any movement 10 Eer
an appropriation made Tor specific pub
4-.ftE purposes
EeDreSoutati-e TavDey. chairman OF
fEo House Fowuit-ee ON Au0rpp-ia-
tons. talked WITH the President today.
but said he had not discussed the cor
Tarariou publicity question
It any appropriation IS made. r. will
lave tr Hg In The general deficiency
i5l- Otherwise tire funds would NOT de-
available until after JuIy p But the
opinion is strong that no money for the
J .'TrpSe IN question viii be allowed at
least until the Supreme Court has passed.
CE the question of the validity Of The
law II the law IS upheld, rrsu the
s0Ove-usut TO bring about publicity Uv
FTrroHrla-lu- the 81 600 asked for n-
Size President might gain strength.