The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-25
KEEPING UP
With
THE NE WIS
BY LUDWELL DENNY

u Il how much your neighbor makes
and how much income tax he pays,
if he wants to keep this conf
dental?
This is the issue being fought
out today behind closed doors by
Senate and House conferees on the
revenue bill. The Administration
and business organizations generally
are opposing such income tax
publicitl
While the Administrations was
mapping in the tax cut fight in the
Senate last week, progressives
slipped through an amendment to
the bill which would open tax re-
turns to public inspection.
The Administration expects to
eliminate this provision, either in
the conference report reconciling
the Senate and House bills, or by
direct vote on the floor
Congress originally provided for
such publicity in the revenue meas
ure of 1924. Newspapers published
lists of the largest returns when
they we're made to the Government.
Though practically every one was
interested in what the other fell
low was making and paying. the
same persons appeared just as re-
sentful that their own returns be-
came public.
A S a result of widespread protest
N against what was called Paul
Pry" legislation, and Of lobbying by
business interests, Congress in 1926
repealed the provision.
Feeling ran so high that suit was
brought against newspapers for pub
fishing the returns under the law
But the United States Supreme
Court upheld the newspapers.
Secretary of the Treasury Mellon,
himself one of the richest men in
the country and at present under
attack by Senator Couzens for al
legged favortism in handling tax
cases. is leading the administration
drive against the new publicity
amendment
NO civilized country I know OF
publishes the private affairs of its
people" Mellon says. There is
nothing of the sort in England or
any other of the leading countries
Of the world
THE publicity provision is en-
tlrely futile for any purpose because
the return as published does not give
any accurate idea of the actual ~
come back of the return. Manv
factors enter into the making of a
return, such as deductions o. mat
ters which belong in the year be-
fore"
The Treasury Department regis
tiers two objections: That the time
required to handle questions of al
legged shoppers" interfere with the
regular work of the bureaus
throughout the country. and that
the information obtained is used by
creditors and other outsiders against
the person making the return.
Progressives insist, however, that
publicity is the only ultimate safe
guard to force honesty in returns by
persons of large wealth, and that the
public has right to this information.
CHOWING its resentment over
~ the bitterness of President
Coolidge's veto message of the Nc
Nary Haugen farm relief bill, the
Senate in rapid succession overrode
the Presidents veto on four other
bills.
Two postal bills, already had been
revoted by the House and are now
law. A third bill provided for road
construction on western public lands
at a cost of $1O,500,OOO .
The most important measure re-
passed was that giving disabled
emergency officers of the World
War equal retirement status and pay
as enjoyed by regular Army Off
GERS.
With many Senators appealing to
the body to refrain from such dis
regard of the chief executive, adj
/ ministration leaders finally were
able to check the overriding of a
fifth veto on bill concerning
Army bandmasters.
Il Il
DUT this latest battle between
ID Congress and the White House
did not change the status of the
disputed farm relief bill. There are
not believed to be enough votes for
the necessary two-thirds to pass it
over the Veto
This is because many voted for
the bill for political reasons who do
not want it to become law, because
others are unwilling to override the
President on a major issue which
will effect the coming Republican
convention and campaign, and be-
cause many of the Lowden-Dawes
group favoring the bill think its
present status-"killed by Coolidge"
is their most effective weapon in
the farm states against the admin
istration and Hoover's presidential
candidacy.