Middletown transcript., 1915-07-24
TO WATCH INCOME TAX

Wilmington and Delaware in line
with other cities and states is under the
hawk-eye surveillance of secret service
men specially appointed by the govern
ment to uncover frauds against the in
come tax and other revenue laws, in
cluding those relating to oleomargerine.
These secret service men have recently
been organized in the internal revenue
bureau. While no such special agent
is attached to the local office, secret
service men come to Wilmington fire.
quently from the Baltimore office aud
and are alert to preAent any infringe
ment on government rulings.
The new squad of detectives not only
are to ferret out violators of the income
tax and other laws, but they are to
spy upon the internal revenue collectors
themselves to see that they do their
duties. The "fying squad" is the way
the Internal Revenue Commissioner
designates the new secret service in his
formal statement.
The addition of this latest secret ser
vice force to Government agencies of
this character is viewed with disap-
proval by many in Washington. AL
ready there is large secret service in
connection with the Department of
Justice, another in connection with the
customs service and still third in con-
nection with the Treasury proper. Mil
lions of dollars are spent each year in
the support of the secret service agen-
cies. 1t was only few years ago that
bitter fight was waged in Congress
against the money expended by Roose-
welt when he was President in this d-
rection, but since then the ramifcations
| of governments S secret service have in
creased many fold
Treasury officials, however, pointed
out today that through the work of the
regular agents of the internal revenue
bureau maay millions of dollars of in
come taxes were collected last year,
and it is also felt that much money is
being lost by the Government through
evasions of the oleomargerine law. The
| Treasury officials therefore feel iusti-
fed in establishing this new service.
In describing the so-called "hying
squad of special agents or detectives,
the Internal Revenue Commissioner
says:
'These officers will be the personal
representatives of the commissioner,
and in fact, will be his eyes and ears
throughout the country. Violators of
the law, or unfaithful employees of the
government, if there be any, will not
know when the eyes of the Commiss-
sloner are upon them.
These agents will be sent into any
part Of the country where the Commits.
sloner has reason to believe that fraud
IS being committed which it is impossi-
BILE for the regular revenue officers lo
uncover. Revenue officers are largely
known in their districts and strange
unidentified person may be able to de-
tect Irregularities where regular off
GERS may fail.
"This action reduces to permanent
form the temporary policy which has
been followed for several months and
which has unearthed numerous frauds
on the revenues. 1t was through the
work of a number of similar agents,
temporarily appointed, that the vast
oleomargerine frauds were brought to
light. The organization of this force
is no reflection on the regular internal
revenue force, but is intended to pro.
mote the general welfare and efficiency
of the service.