Evening star., 1924-11-18
Blair Tells Collectors to Fix
Special Hours for Public
Inspection.
RULE MADE NECESSARY
BY HOSTS OF CURIOUS
Blanket Lists of Return Will Not
Be Furnished. Commissioner
Declares.

Detailed regulations to govern
making public of income tan returns
under the publicity provision of the
new revenue law We're issued today
by Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Blair, restricting the time when rec
ords shall be opened and barring the
records to certain kinds of requests
for information.
The amount OF time needed by the
collectors offices for attending to the
regular business of getting in the
Government money is given as the
reason for the new restrictions. The
re grla .ious will also make more uni
form throughout the country the
practices OF collectors in opening the
records. Previously there had been
variance in the systems.
Meantime. attorneys of the Depart
ment OF Justice We're understood to
be proceeding i'll preparation of a
suit against some ueWspa per in the
country, 10 test out in the courts
what Congress meant by including i'll
tha revenue law two provisions, one
requiring publicity and the other
naming penalty for publication.
There was no definite indication to-
dav II the d apartment. upon inquiry,
when this suit would he filed. or
where.
Tnc original orders sent out TO col
1ectors, Commissioner Blair expla ined
n issuing his new regulations today,
provided merely that the lists cover
ing 1928 income tax returns should be
open for public i3spection. This step
was taken" said the commissioner.
"ir order TO obIiate the necessity Tor
pairing typ"N:r.tten lists Of names
and addresses OF taxpayers for in
spcctior, in the belief that substan-
tisl saving TO the Government would
be effected.
Many Merely Curious.
Experience has demonstrated that
there are many who desire to see the
lists for no obvious reason. 1t is
therefore necessary that careful
supervision of the publicity section OF
the revenue act be made in order that
the work of posting payments to the
lists. preparing bills. notices and de-
mands for tax. and warrants of dis
trafht may not be delayed. 1t is
essential that the December bills be
prepared and ready for mailing on
December ]. and that all demand
notices for delinquent taxpayers be
mailed promptly.
Collectors are. therefore, request
the publicity section of the Internal
Revenue Act of 1924 by opening the
lists for public inspection not more
than three days per week, and that
during these three days the hours for
inspection also be restricted. It is
recommended that not in excess of
three hours. per day be made avail
able to the public for inspecting the
tax lists, the days and hours to be
-. IN- op'c
The office could modify the days and
hours either by increasing or de-
creasing. and the work necessary for
each office to perform should be the
governing factor. Each collector
should give publicity through the
press as to the hours and days of the
week when the lists will be avail
able for public inspection, and should
make known the reasons why it is
necessary to restrict the hours of in
spection of the lists by the public.
Requests from individuals for lists
of persons paying taxes in excess OF
$1,000 or any other given amount will
be disregarded. Blanket requests from
applicants who desire information as to
amounts paid by competitors or persons
engaged in similar industries without
specifying the names OF the persons or
concerns, can, of course, not be COM
piled with unless the names Of the tax
payers are given. This applies to any
other request of a similar nature. Re-
quests for information received from
any branch or establishment of the
Federal Government will be referred to
the bureau for attention.
THE attention of each applicant
should be invited to the provisions Of
section 1857 Of the Revised Statutes
prohibiting the publication Of any part
of an income tax return.
Section 3240 Of the Revised Statutes,
which requires each collector to furnish
list of special taxpayers to a State,
county or municipality, Is not applica-
BILE to the income tax lists"