The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1924-02-23
TaxReturns
Subject to
Coalition Votes Additional
Amendment Extending
Privilege to Special
Committees.
Adopted, l58-l00 Vote

Washington. Feb. 2z.-The house
republican-insurgent CO.
alition wedged another amendment
bento the revenue bill today making
tax returns subject to inspection by
certain congressional committees.
This amendment and another
adopted by one-vote margin open
ing corporation tax returns to inspec-
tion of state officials regardless of
whether the state imposes an income
tax as the law now requires. de-
veloped the major controversial issues
of the day.
Both amendments drew fire from
the republicans, Representative Mills,
New York. charging that this piece
meal destruction of the revenue bill
is not only leading to complete dis
tortion of the measure. but to de
struction of the income tax law it.
SELF lie charged the measure was
being made an instrument of politics,
adding that instead of bringing re-
lief for the taxpayers 1t is going to
harass them"
Representative Wingo. democrat.
Arkansas, in reply, denied that
amendments thus far adopted had
done more than bring relief to
greater number of taxpayers, and de-
clared he would rather be charged
with political motives than personal
interest in framing a revenue bill"
The republican stand served to de
feat an amendment offered by Rep
resentative Moore. democrat, Vir-
ginia, which would have opened per-
sonal as we'll as corporation returns
to state officers. 1t was lost, 122 TO
a.
Gift Tax Favored.
Additional charges in the measure
were tentatively agreed upon at a
meeting of some members of both
parties of the ways and means COM
mittee. These would increase the
Estate or inheritance tax and impose
q gift tax. What rates will be pro-
posed was not determined, although
the schedule advanced recently by
Representative Ramseyer, republican,
Iowa, to make the maximum rate on
the estate tax 40 per cent, applying
to the amount by which the net
estate of n deed exceeds $1.0Oo.0OO
was favored by a number of those
who conferred.
Representative Longworth. the re-
publican leader, who yesterday ad-
vanced a new compromise on the in
come rate schedules as substitute
FOR the democratic rates already voted
into the bill. declared tonight he ex-
pected eight or nine of the II repub-
licans who supported the democratic
plan to vote for the substitute IL an
opportunity Is afforded when the bill
Ia I'D for a final vote. The republican
compromise fixes the maximum sur
tax rate at 37i1 per cent instead of
the a. per cent now in the bill. and
decreases the normal rate on In
comes below 81 900 to per cent,
the rate now in tine bill. but would
make it per cent above that amount.
It would allow no increased exemp
tions.
Open to Special Bodies.
The amendment opening tax re
turns specified that they should be
inspected only by the house ways and
means and senate finance committees
and special congressional committees.
Ii was adopted. 15s to 1907 The
amendment as originally proposed by
Representative Moore. democrat, Nir-
ginia. would have made the returns
, available to all congressional commit
ices. 1t was changed on motion OF
Representative TilsoD, republican,
Connecticut by vote of 146 to 139.
Previously the house rejected, 15S
TO 80. an amendment submitted by
Representative Frear to make the
tax returns open to inspection by
anyone under the rules governing as
10 other public records.
Representative Garner and other
democratic as well as republican lead
ers opposed this as not safeguarding
sufficiently the tax records, although
declaring it was preferable to no pro-
vision for publicity on returns what
ever. Representative Halves, demo
crat, of Missouri, declared the amend
ment would destroy the privacy Of
the home.