Evening star., 1932-07-20
OPPOSES PUBLICITY
IN OIL TAX PROBE
Mills Questions Wisdom on
Assessment Cases Still
Pending.

After reviewing taxes already col
lected by the Government as an out
growth of the Senate investigation OF
naval oil reserve leases in 1928, Secre-
tary of the Treasury Mills has just ad-
vised Congress that it would not be
compatible with the public interests to
disclose at this time the details regard
ing certain other tax assessments,
amounting to ST 33l .229.63, that are still
pending for settlement in the Internal
Revenue Bureau.
The report of the Secretary was
transmitted through the Joint Commit
tee on Internal Revenue Taxation IN
response to a request contained IN a
resolution which Senator Nye, Repup-
lcan. of North Dakota, chairman OF the
Public Lands Committee, had the Sen
ate adopt July II.
Asks Full Data.
The Nve resolution requested the
Joint Committee on Internal Revenue
Taxation to secure from the Treasury
Secretary full and complete lnforma--
ton concerning any and all taxes ana
penalties which have been collected by
or paid into the Treasury consequent
upon disclosures made before the Com
mittee on Public Lands and Surveys OF
the Senate in the course OF the 1nVes-
tigation conducted by it pursuant 10
Senate Resolution 101, Seventeen Con-
gress, first session, or through inquiries
prosecuted incidental to such investiga-
tion. including the date of payment,
the amount of the same and the per.
sons making the payments.
The resolution also called for informa-
ton not incompatible with the pubic
interest regarding assessments that are
being made by the Treasury.
The report of the Treasury Secretary
points out that the inquiry by the Pup-
tic Lands Committee in 1928 was with
respect to leases upon naval OIL re-
serves. and disclosed the operations and
distribution of assets (profltS) OF the
Continental Trading Co. LTD OF Can
ada during the years 1922 and 1928"
The steps that we're taken in collect
ing taxes found to be due from the
Continental Trading Co. for 1922 and
1929 were transmitted to the Senate IN
a previous report from the Treasury in
1925. The new report calls attention
to this data previously submitted, ana
gives in addition a summary OF the in
come tax case of Henry M. Blackmer.
s3,669,.S4 Collected.
The income tax case against MI
Blackmer," the report states, covered
the years 1916 to 1923. inclusive. ana
included numerous transactions haVlns
no relation to the operations OF the
Continental Trading Co. Ltd. The
civil liz bility of Mr.. Blackmer was
finally disposed of in May, 1882 and
resulted in the payment to the GoV-
ernment of $780, 78447."
IL toi, 11Cf n I
persons who paid additional taxes IN
1880 and 1881 but the document en-
phasizes that these transactions had no
connection with the Continental Trad
ing Co. or matters under investigation
by the Senate committee. In presenting
these II names in the report, Secretary
Mills stated:
The BIackmer investigation led to
the investigation of a number OF cor
porationS and individuals with respect to
transactions having no connection with
the Continental Trading Co. LtdD or
matters under investigation by the Sen
ate committee. These Investigations
have resulted in the collection OF addl-
tional taxes from II individuals in the
total amount of SIT 667.71. as follows:
Andrew D. Aitken. Denver, net ad-
ditional tax paid, s319.98: H. c. Bret
schneider. Denver. S1,454.8l; H. H.
Brooks. Denver. S75357; John D. Clark,
Baltimore. S5.72760 Ralph o. Dietler,
Denver. S149.37; Robert S. Ellison. Cas-
per. Wyo., S1,657.69: Paul j. N. Kuhn,
Scarsdale, N Y, S2l58; Arthur Myles,
New York, S121694; H. D. Oppenhei-
mer. New York, S35501; Walter Pforz-
heimer. New York. S5,332.l6, and James
G: Stanley New York S679,
Interest in the total amount OF ap-
proximately $4,000 was paid by these IL
individuals in addition to the a.n"unts
shown in the foregoing tabulatiCn.'
Cites Pending Cases.
The report of Secretary Mills con-
cludes with the reasons for not dis
closing at this time the details of as
sessments that are pending against
other individuals who received assets
of the Continental Trading Co." Re-
ferring TO these unsettled cases, the
Secretary's letter stated:
additional taxes and penalties ag-
gregating 81 1881 .22963 have been pro-
posed for assessment against other in
dividuals who received assets of the
these individuals are pending before the
general counsel for the Bureau of In
ternal Revenue in connection with pro-
tests and briefs which have been filed