The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-11-01
WORK is QUADRUPLED
Internal Revenue Collector Now
Has Big lob.
Under New War Revenue Act, 5u-
reau Will Be Called Upon to
Handle $500, ,ooo, 900 Annually.

The work Of the internal revenue
bureau, treasury department, has al
ways been Of great Importance TO
Uncle Sam, but under the new war
revenue act its importance will be
greatly augmented, because it is esti-
mated that it will be called upon to
collect approximately $3,4OO,OOO,OOO
annually.
This amount is more than four times
as much revenue as was collected last
fiscal year. 1t is estimated that 1000
600 returns from individuals, corpora
tiOns, etc, will have to be handled by
the bureau under the new bill, 6,0O0,-
600 Of which will probably be from
the new income and excess-prOtits tax
payers. The bureau receives at the
present time under the old laws ap-
proximately 100000 returns. This
means that the bureau will have APP
prOXimately nine times the number Of
returns it is handling under existing
laws. In addition to these returns
and the administrative and Organiza-
ton problems arising Herewith, the
new bill imposes new special stamp
and manufacturers taxes.
More and more during recent years
the administration of the bureau has
affected the business world generally
and IL has been necessary for the adj
ministrative officers to match their
wits against the most brilliant legal
and business minds of the country.
Upon the passage of the new bill this
condition was enormously magnitied.
There is no business Of Importance In
the country that is not affected, and
very large proportion Of the time of
all administrative officers will he spent
in defending the governments inter
ests against private interests repre-
sented by the best legal and executive
ability Obtainable, and seeking to de-
crease their own burden of taxation or
to settle cOntroverted questions.
A careful study has been made by
officials of the bureau of the addition
al work that the new revenue law will
necessitate on the part of the bureau
! field force. Many new items Of taxa
ton are incorporated in the new rev.
enue bill, which will require an ac-
tive canvass on the part of the field
force to see that the revenues due the
government are collected.
Approximately 10000 monthly re-
turns will be received by collectors
reporting taxes on theaters, railroads.
perfumery, cosmetics and proprietary
articles, sporting goods cameras,
sirups, etc, telephones and kilograms,
not including annual returns of Spe-
cial taxes from approximately 4,OOO,-
600 owners Of automobiles and 2OO,-
600 owners of pleasure boats. In addi-
ton to these returns inventories will
he received from dealers in liquors
and tobacco, and such returns will ap-
proximate several hundred thousand
The present organization of the bu,
reau consists of one commissioner
three deputy commissioners, one at
torney 13 heads of divisions and ia
clerks, messengers and laborers. On
the executive force of the bureau the
success or failure Of the administra-
ton of the internal revenue laws
largely depends. These administra,
tive officers will have the training OF
hundreds of entirely inexperienced
persons who will be required to carry
on the bureaus increased work.