The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-05-03
~ BASIL N. MANLY

tipator
IN the preceding articles ! have
shown you that the frauds and
cyaKionH under the federal income
tar amount TO more than 1920. 00o.-
00o-enough TO pay the entire cost
OF preparedness" that these
frauds cannot be prevented nor the
taxes collected either under the
law az IL now stands. or with the
existing administrative machinery.
The great question now arises.
WHAT ARE WE GOING To DO
ABOUT IT.
These taxes must De collected .
the NATION NEEDS THE REV.
ENUE AND JUSTICE DEMANDS
THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE
LAW.
There are only two effective
methods.
Surveillance Necessary
FTRST-The adoption and erten-
sion OF the plans which are being
urged by Secretary McAdoo. pro
viding system OF surveiliance
over every potential income tax
payer.
sECoND-Ths adoption OF the
simple erpedient OF PUBLISHING
the income tar returns 70 that the
nation may know who are the
HONEST TAXPAYERS and who
are tho DISHONEST TAX
THIEVES.
Tho publicity plan proved its
success as a means OF insuring the
payment OF tho income tar during
the civil war.
Under tho civil war Income
tar the individual returns were
published and resulted In tho
uneoverlna OF large frauds and
delinuuencles.
But In 1870 when congress
reached the lowest depths OF
corruption and veral sub
ssrvieney TO the rich. when the
public lands were being turned
over TO the railroads In return
for brides almost openly given,
when Jay Gould and Jim Fiske
were popular heroes, the In
come tax law was amended to
PROHIBIT PUBLICITY.
Publicity Gets Them In
The only ground urged was
that II was OBNOXIOUS to those
who paid the tax"
What was the resuitf
In 1870 when the returns were
published the number showing In.
come over $4,000 was si.sS7.
In 1871 when publicity was pro.
hibited the number fell 10 T4.7Tb,
and 20 72.e4e in 1879,
The EXISTING system OF com
plete secrecy is at the basis OF the
present tax frauds II is funda.
mentally wrong and un-American
Taxpaying Ia public business. and
! public business ought TO BE public
Secretary OF the Treasury Nc
| Adoo admits and has directed the at
tention OF congress TO the enor
nous frauds and EMISSIONS under
the income tax law.
He does not agree with the esti
mates given above as TO the prob
able AMOUNTS OF the frauds. but
he does agree that they ARE
ENORMOUS.
Must Make Them Pay
| discussed with Secretary Nc
Adoo upon three occasions what he
proposes to 10 This is his answer:
There can be no doubt that
thousands OF persons are sue
eessfully evading the income
tax, and that wholesale frauds
are being perpetrated In all
parts Of the country and among
all classes OF taxpayers.
people are not voluntarily
going TO pay this tax any moro
readily than they do any other.
"They must be MADE to pay
It, and this can be done only
thru a very large Increase In
the number OF revenue agents
and examiners.
I'VE must do more than sim
ply examine the returns.
1--WE must build up a system
that will give US knowledge Of
the Identity and probable in
come of every person who
ought to be subject TO the tax.
"Call 1t espionage II YOU win
"The tax is just and equitable
and can he collected by such a sys
tenn as | have outlined.
Asks for Amendments
II am asking congress for nearly
81 600, 600 TO increase the force OF
income tax agents and for certain
amendments which will make them
effective.
First, they must be in a position
to know who ought to make re
turn, and this ! am proposing to
secure thru an amendment TO the
law requiring every one with q
GROSS income OF over $4,000 70