Evening star., 1925-03-27

An additional assessment of nearly
sl1 100000 levied by the Treasury
gainst Senator Couzens on his in
come for 1919 has been copied by
the press with the Senator'S attack
on Secretary Mellon and on the treat
-ment by fthe latters department of
various income tax cases. II has re-
vealed wide differences of opinion as
to the merits of the vetsy. and
mas brought out some suggestions as
to changes in the law and in prac-
tice.
"One bad provision of the Federal
income tax law" declares. the Sioux
rails Press, "a continuing source of
trouble. is the theory of treating ordi-
nary valuation gains as income tax
able as such. That provision has been
drag on normal progress in the ma
tenal life and should be repealed"
The Buffalo News calls for general
reformation in the tax bureau and Of
fers this critioism: "If tax assess
ments are to be opened and reopened,
business is going to be kept in a state
OF doubt. A case once closed should
remain closed, unless clear evidence
of fraud is brought to light. There
is no evidence of anything of the kind
in the Couzens case. 1t should be the
| nXed policy of the tax bureau not to
bedeyil the taxpayers" The SPRING
field Union adds its suggestions: The
courts have several times reversed the
Judgments of the Internal Revenue
Bureau on the grounds that the law
was oppressive, and Congress has
vatnly attempted to clear up some of
the antiquities. Senator Couzens
could contribute to these needed re-
forms were he possessed of less per-
sonal and partisan bias"
THE worst feature of the whoIe
matter" states the Saginaw News
Courier, appears to be the legality
of Treasury policy which keeps the
taxpayer ever in doubt as to whether
he has acted rightly In this case Mr..
Couzens appears to have taken every
step imaginable assuring him a good
sale and securing to the Government
its tax income on basis approved by
the Treasury. What more could be
| done it is difficult TO imagine"
* X x x
The Scranton Republican condemns
the Senator's charge of discrimination
by the Treasury Department and adds:
BY making an arbitrary assessment
the department has forced the Sena-
tors hand, for he will be compelled
to ask for hearingzor else pay the
enormous amount charged against
him. 1t is difficult to see what ground
The position of the Portland Oregon
Journal is more favorable toward the
contention of the Senator, whose
career it reviews, saying: "He is. not
small caliber man. He is not the
kind knowingly to make wild and
unsupported charges. He rose from
nowhere. to high place in the Ford
company. made millions of dollars for
himself, became a highly successful
mayor of Detroit, and was from there
elevated to the United States Senate.
His record of accomplishment is one
that would ordinarily classify him as
thoroughly reliable. His charges are
serious. They come from a substantial
source and they call for very
thorough investigation"
Why assume" asks the Charleston
(W. ya) Mail, that Senator Couzens
tax return for 1919 was correct when
he sayssthe returns of so many others
ereT.incorrectf Why assume that he
has virtue and other persons are ras-
Gals ~ The. Hartford, (Conn.) Courant
asserts that the Senator sis trying to
make a sort of Borah out of himself"
and says of the assessment: "If
Couzens,. is all right he can waive
immunity and let the Government case
run along. If, however, he does not
do that, il Isl pretty near a confess
sion." The Savannah Press considers
the political phase of the matter and
refers to Couzens' opposition TO the
confirmation of Warren as Attorney
General, together with reports to his
Senate committee that individuals
and corporations saved mary millions
in income taxes through Treasury
rulings" It's conclusion. is: so the
effort seems to be to get back at the
Michigan Senator and break his in
fluence.n The Toledo Blade sees the
political side. from another angle:
"Congressmen, and particularly SEN
ators consider that laws and regula-
tions and governmental practices
which govern the ordinary run of
citizens do not govern the members
of Congress. In short they are de-
velopfng the notion that they are
above the law" The paper would have
them taught that they have no spe-