Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-07-16
BOARD OF TAX
CLAIMS READY
FOR HEARINGS
Charles d. Hamel of North
Dakota Elected Chairman,
And Board Proceeds TO
Consider Reductions

WASHINGTON. Iuly It, Machinery
created by the new tax law for adjust
ment II tax claims WAS formally Set IN
motion today with the organization of
the board Of tax appeals.
The twelve members already named
elected Charles u. IIamel of North
Dakota. chairman and proceeded 10 work
ont rules III pro cdure governing the dis
position of claims which III the past have
aggregated a. high a. half billion dol
lars year.
Present plans contemplate division ~
the board into committees uf three. each
committee 10 be assigned headquarters
in ~eme city central 10 the communities
from which it's eases come. Tax payers
thus will be shared the necessity of
making trips 10 Washington TO handle
their claims.
Cities where the committee win sit.
excepting the group remaining here.
have not been definitely determined. but
chi ago. st. Paul. Atlanta. Boston.
Kansas City. Dallas. Salt Lake City,
and san Francisco have been under con
Sidcrarion. Obviously. only three IN adj
dition ~ Washington can be chosen NJ
the start but the other cities will be sr-
l,rtcd Immediately upon appointment ~
he remaining sixteen members of the
board. When the full membership Of -
has been named. nine committees can
work in nine different cities
Acting Secretary Winston of the
Treasury. addressing the board inmedi-
ately upon its organization. declared i
had 4 heavy responsibility im acting
as an independent agency ~ the govern
meni. lie urged that hearing and de-
tiSion az cases begin Immediately.
The law provides that the board shall
hear arguments on AT claims III public.
When the amount involved ~ above $lO.-
600 the evidence must to reduced to
writing and written opinions must be
handed down.
For the next few years. Mr.. Wins
ton continued. back taxes will ~ very
material part of the governments re-
ceiptS. During the last fiscal year they
probably ran ~ high aS $4OuoVniHh
We were averaging between $iu.UOO.tn
and $4O0OO.OO0 month when the rev
cnuc act If 1924 WAS passed. In June
our receipts from this source dropped
10 $3.O00.u00.
You can readily see. therefore. that
unless your board acts with prompiness
and with fairness 10 The government. our
revenues will not ~ sufficient o. carry
IL through the next fiS IL year. the sur
plus W which Is now estimated AZ under
$5OuO0.O00
Board members declared tue reduction
should aid materially III the financing
az this years crop movement The in
termediate credit banks which make the
loans Ia the cooperative marketing as
sociations hast year loaned more than
SIS. .0O0. 600 and this was distributed
among approximately 3u0O0O farmers
The : liz per cent rate has been ~
effect since the credit banks were or
ganized under the agricultural credit Law
passed early in 1923 Ability of the
hoard To- lower the rate WAS Dc lared by
Commissioner Cooaer 10 mean thar the
system Was established permanently a.
an institution for financing the farmers.
II wolnd mean. ~ said. considerable
savings ~ the takers W loans from the
credit hanks and III the same time per
nit the banks to operate at n small
profit.