Evening star., 1944-02-25

beginning to be understood. The
legislators know in what mess the
whole tax problem happens to be-
but the people haven't yet made
their protests felt with respect to
the annoyances that lie ahead. Lit
orally tens of thousands Of tax cases
are jammed up in the Treasury
which will not be settled for years
Individual taxpayers who expect
quick refunds on overpayment will
not get them. The staff doesn't
exist and the red tape IS over
whelming. If~the President would
stop making a political football OF
the Internal Revenue Bureau and
would give the time and attention
which that bureau needs in order
that it may have ample staff, some
progress would be made.
Actually what ought to be done
Is to separate the Internal Revenue
Bureau from all politics just as
Congress set up the General Ac-
counting Office as an independent
unit. The head of the Internal
Revenue Bureau ought to hold Office
for Is years just as does the Con-
troller General. The staff should
be recruited from the best brains
of the country and the rules and
regulations should be rewritten so
that the auditors can effect settle
ments without forcing taxpayers to
go through the most costly pro-
cesses of litigation to get refunds
that are merited by simple justice.
The amount of buck-passing and
supineness which exists among the
personnel, because they have been
brow-beaten by technicalities SO
long that they are unable to adjust
returns without months and months
Of prolonged correspondence, is
amazing. 1t is a matter Of con-
siderable surprise that Congress has
not gone into that phase Of the
problem, but perhaps the demand
that is arising for "simplification'
of tax returns may also include
simplifcation of regulations and
methods of administration.
The personnel of the Bureau is
beyond approach and is overworked
and neglected. It needs new lead
ership and one that is not in any
way beholden to politics. The sys-
tenn Of appointing Collectors Of In
ternal Revenue from the political
world Is wrong, not because these
men yield to pressure but because
they do not intend to make the
Internal Revenue Bureau service q
career. The Nation is entitled to
permanent administrators a
personnel looking for political re-
wards or one that uses positions in
the Bureau merely as a stepping
stone to other opportunities in the
business or professional world.
The issues raised by the presi-
dental veto of the tax bill can
easily be swallowed up in political
implications, especially since op.
ponents of the Administration will
not be slow to charge that the re-
volt should mean the elimination
of a fourth-term candidacy. The
main issue, however, Is that Con-
gress must formulate tax policy
and that the Treasury and the legis-
lators should work together as team.
mates rather than face each other
as antagonists.
Senator Barkley says in accepting
reelection as majority leader thai
he hopes the incident will result
in closer relations between Con.
gress and the President. That re.
suit will come only if the President
wishes to throw overheard his brain.
trusters and radicals and pay some
attention to the elected legislators
The suggestion that there be q biz
technical staff to study and write
laws and appraise the statistica
information of the Treasury is 9
wise one. The reform has long beer
overdue.
Mr.. Roosevelt will have to learr
another lesson, namely, that Will,
he has a constitutional right to vett
a tax bill. it isn't wise or conSideratt "a