Evening star., 1924-10-25
Murmur of Discomfort Comes
From High Officials and
Others With Warning of
Possible IIIegaIity.
CURIOUS THOUSANDS
PORE OVER OPEN LISTS
Blair Stands on Flat Statement
That Penalty of Fine and I'm.
prisonment May Follow-Jus'
tice Department Rushes Decision
on Publication Rights.

on Publication Rights.
With no clean-cut Government ruling
on the two apparently paradoxical pro-
visions of the revenue act providing on
the one hand publicity for income tax
records, and on the other hand sharp
penalty for publication of such records
newspapers of the Nation assumed the
responsibility" laid on them by the
Department of Justice and today con-
tinued to print lengthy lists of the tax
returns of American citizens.
Avidly a curious public perused col
nmn after column as first records OF
the wealthiest, of acquaintance and
of friends were barred. But. rumblins
and complaining. an almost ominous
murmur of public discomfort arose
and, assuming various forms, from id lie
curiosity to growing resentment, began
to find expression in caustic words, as
the private affairs of the individual
American citizen were slowly exposed
to the public gaze
Warnings Recalled.
The recent solemn warnings of Sec
retary of the Treasury Mellon that the
constitution guarantees to the citizen
the sanctity of his private affairs" of
Secretary of Commerce Hoover that
publicity to income taxes would be a
serious jeopardy" to business and of
President Coolidge that publicity would
be harmful to the government rev.
enue," came u2 out of the recent past.
to lend themselves almost the weight
of prophecy.
At the Offices of the collectors of
internal revenue newspaper report
ers continued to dig deeper into the
maze of figures where lay the secrets.
Zealously guarded for years by the
American Government, but now,
under the revenue law, barred for the
eager consumption of the public.
Department of Justice experts be-
gan the study of the two disputed
provisions of the revenue law and
will have ready for Attorney General
stone, when he returns from Iowa
Sunday night, d preliminary survey
Of the situation for his consideration.
No decision by the department is ex-
pected before some time early next
week.
The Treasury stands on its warn
ing to the pulic that publication of
the record may be violation of the
law.
Troublesome questions of all kinds
bobbed up for Commissioner of In
ternal Revenue Blair and his 64 col
lectorS to solve, as they were pursued
by not only newspaper men, but by
commercial concerns, by statesmen,
curiosity seekers and others for a
peek at the valuable books
Further Ruling Vital.
Evidently some kind of more ex-
either by the commissioner himself
or by the collector to decide who shall
see the records, and when, according
TO some officials.
Although Commissioner Blair. when
interviewed this morning, declined to
lay down a hard and fast rule as to
how far the records shall be exposed,
he gave it as his personal opinion
that Congress never meant that the
records should be used by any per-
son who chooses for advertising pur-
poses, mailing lists and similar pur-
poses.
Commissioner Blair stood fast on the
text of his telegram to collectors of
internal revenue, which ordered all
collectors to call specific attention of
every one who requested to look to the
penalty provisions of the law.
The Commissioner feels that the
Treasury has done it's duty in warning
the public, and in expressing its
opinion that Congress never meant
the lists for general publication.
Wherever possible, he explained, all
provisions of Jaw are placed into
effect. In the opinion of Mr.. Blair
and his associates it would be possi-
BILE for them to open the lists for in
spection. and at the same time do all
they can to call attention of the public
that Congress did not intend the
record should be published, as laid
down in the penalty provision.
stands On Telegram.
The telegram to collectors, which
Mr.. Blair again emphasized so en-
phatically today, is short and to the
point he says. and in full reads as
follows:
with reference mimeograph 3249
law does not authorize preparat tion
Of copies income tax lists by public
'ro permit persons to prepare dupli-
cate lists of income taxpayers would
seriously obstruct efficient manage
ment of your office. Post conspicu-
ously and call to attention of all who
wish to examine income tax lists pro-
visions of section 1857, Revised Stat
utes. particularly that provision max
ing it unlawful to print or publish
any income tax return or any part
IneTeOl ptHdllS VI d mt VI ohc
thousand dollars or Imprisonment for
one year or both"
Telegrnms Pour In.
kilograms of protest against the
action of the Treasury in opening
the books for inspection began to
pour in from various parts of the
country. Some of these assailed the
motives of the administration in
making the lists available. Others
complained against the general pol
icy of revealing the private affairs
Of an american citizen. And one was
understood bitterly to protest against
the matter, criticizing the Treasury
for doing what the sender evidently
thought was the result of simply a
Treasury ruling.
Commissioner Blair said in answer
to such criticism that there was
nothing left for the department to
co but to follow the law as amended
last Spring. He smiled at the is-
CONTINUED on Page 2, Column -