Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-05-11
Federal Tax Bureau is
Disrupted by Politics;
Gust Experienced Men
Federal Income Suffers When
Employees Who Earned
Way to Top Are Dropped
Suddenly

Similar conditions in the West Wiz.
ginia government, politics Is being
played with the Federal Tax Bureau.
Recognition by the Harding administra-
tion of the insistent demands for
political pie" has disrupted the eff
cheney of the internal revenue bureau
at Washington at a time when the
country is in need of the best service
1t could render.
Political changes and impending re.
assignments have interfered serious
~ with the normal functioning of
Uncle Sans tax collecting agency and
have temporarily halted some of the
most important work Of the treasury
department.
That is the situation. according IN
eliable reports, which is giving Andrew
Mellon, Secretary of the Treasury.
more genuine concern than the soldier
bonus problem or the task of collectino
Americas foreign debts. The audit
or tax returns for 1917 and 1918 Is not
yet completed, while similar audits for
the last three years have hardly been
touched. This delay alone is held
TO have cost the Government millions
or dollars in potential revenue. he.
cause many concerns, once PHOSPHORUS
and able to pay, have since struck the
rocks Of business and financial do.
preston and are not in a less fortunate
position.
IL Is now an open secret that n
monkey wrench has been thrown into
the complicated fax collection ma.
chlnery, through unexpected changes
In all important divisions. suddenly
a1ected within the last few weeks
inc result is that little is being oc.
complished while clerks and bigbhe,
oihclals discuss the possibilities that
tneS also may be transferred or else
dismissed from the service at anv
time.
Ihree OF the most important changes
that nave taken place are:
!. transfer of George 8. Paul. an.
pointment clerk, to the prohibition
unit, and the appointment OF CAR,
Graybill, Michigan, to succeed him
=. appointment of c. C. Childs. Ohio
TO succeed F. f. Frazier as suner
visor of internal revenue collectors
8. transfer Of Willard F. West Ken.
lucky. from deputy commissioners
snip in charge of the important divi.
sion of accounts. TO the nrobib,,;o,,
unit as assistant commissioner of that
branch and the appoinement of A. d
sumner, Iowa, to succeed the Ken.
tuckian as deputy commissioner of in.
ternal revenue. in charge of accounts
SuDordinates also have been shifted
around. the rule seeming to be that an,
official efficient and experienced IN on.
prahch or work should be transferred
to another
lhls sudden Spring cleaning" came
as complete surprise because II di.
regarded the fact that the men d.s.
placed were all Republicans of many
years service and had reached thei,
high assignments under the Dsmo
cratic administration solely through
the records they established for eff.
cheney.
The first wind of the impending In
heaval came several months ago. when
number of Republicans in Congress.
charged that Secretary Mellon was ra
tanning Wilson appointees in all III,
important treasury berths. Follow
ing this original lament # the ,at.
ronage hunters, it is understood iha.
Representative Joseph w. Fordncy
Michigan, went to the White Horse
and warned President Harding thai,
elections could only be carried II,
giving jobs to the workers" Short
thereafter the President issued an OK
ecutiNe order removing the deputy
commissioners of internal revenue fror
me civil service list, where they hi
been for many wears