Evening star., 1917-10-07
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

| The work OF the internal revenue bu-
reau. Treasury Department. has always
been Of great i'm
Internal Peuanua portance to Uncle
| -, Sam, but under the
SoAAeetlous. new war revenue
act its Importance will be greatly aug
mented because 1t is estimated that 1t
will be called upon to collect approx
mately s3.40O.0O0.00o annually.
This amount is more than four times
as much revenue as was collected last
fiscal year. It is estimated that 7,000,-
900 returns from individuals. corpora
tions. etc. will have to be handled by
the bureau under the new bill, 100000
of which will probably be from the new
income and eNcess-proflts taxpayers.
The bureau receives at the present time
under the old laws approximately S00,-
600 returns. This means that the bu-
reau will have approximately nine times
the number of returns it is handling
under existing laws. In addition to
these returns and the administrative
and organization 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
p
and II has been necessary for the ad-
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 condi-
ton was enormously magnified. There
is no business of Importance in the
country that is not affected. and a very
large proportion, certainly a great ma
jority, of the time of all administrative
officers will be spent in defending the
government interests against private
interests represented by the best legal
and executive ability obtainable. and
seeking to decrease their own burden
of taxation or to settle controverted
questions.
a careful study has been made by
officials of the bureau of the additional
work that the new revenue law will
neceSsitatc on the part of the bureau
field force. Many new items of taxa
ton are Incorporated in the new revenue
bill. which Will require an active can
vaSs on the part of the field force to
see that the revenues due the govern
ment are collected.
Approximately 10000 monthly returns
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 special taxes from ap-
proNimately 100000 owners of auto
mobiles and 100000 owners of pleasure
ventories viii be received from dealers
in liquors and tobacco, and such re-
turns viii approximate several hun
dred thousand.
The present organization of the bu-
reau consists of one commissioner,
three deputy commissioners, one attor-
ney. thirteen heads of divisions and us
clerks, messengers and laborers This
force has been unable to keen the work
OF the bureau current in all respects
so that it will be utterly impossible FOR
the bureau to absorb any additional
work under its present organization.
1t is believed that it should be or
ganized so as to provide for two addi-
tional deputy commissioners and three
new division heads. On the executive
force Of the bureau the success or fail
ure of the administration of the internal
revenue laws largely depends. These
administrative officers Will have the
training of hundreds of entirely mex
perienced persons who will be required
to carry on the bureaus increased
work.