Evening star., 1951-10-10

dLlu LIE GAtc1lt 10 WHICH bureau
officials should be allowed to par
ticipate in outside activities to
supplement their incomes.
Yesterday. Mr.. Finnegan said
he didn't recall ever discussing
with Secretary Snyder or Mr..
Connolly the possibility of be-
coming Commissioner of Internal
Revenue, succeeding George j..
Schoeneman. who recently re-
signed the position.
Shortly before, he had denied
fatty ever discussing the posi-
bility with Mr.. Schoeneman.
However. Mr.. Finnegan told
Mr.. Kean. when asked whether
he considered himself qualified for
the position, that he thought the
commissioners job was mainly
administrative" and added:
1--WE never felt myself unquali-
fed for any administrative posi-
ton" i,
Adrian w DeWind. the subcom-
mittee's 37-year-old chief counsel,
inquired. if Mr.. Finnegan Knew
when he tried to resign from of.
flee. that he was under inyestiga4
ton. W q
Il didn't know II then" Mr.
Finnegan replied. s :
Began in 1850. ~.
Subcommittee records show that
an investigation at the bureau
level of the activities of Mr.. Fin
negan began sometime in the early
part Of 1850. There was no indi-
cation at any time during the,
course of the hearing that, top,
Government aoff fcialS here knew
about the investigation at the
time Mr.. Finnegan sought to osgivsI
up his SO 600 -a-year once as col-
lector. sAs Ell q
During nearly fiYe hours of
questioning, .Mr Firinegata 5
|. Acknowledged total income
outside his Government pay for
the years 1917. 1913 and 1s4s Of
$105.057 and large deductions for
expenses for the period. including
$10,6l1 for entertainment, $7,410I
for travelling. and $7,096 for hotels.
2. Admitted that tax assess
ments totaling $2.444 have been
levied against him for I947. 1948I
and 1949.
8. Repeatedly said ,"I do not re-
and Il don't recall" when
asked by Mr.. DeWind if he had
ever given gifts to Government
officials on behalf of the American
Lithofold Corp. of St. Louis, from
which he said he had received pay
as an administrative assistant in
charge of public relations" since
becoming connected with the COM
pany in 194S. Mr.. Finnegan said
l don't recall that statement"
when Mr.. DeWind read into the
record testimony he had given
before Senate group, denying he
had made any such gifts.
Representative Curtis, Repub-
lican. OF Nebraska, who questioned
MIR. Finnegan at length about his
own income tax returns, developed
That tax assessments filed against
him amounted to $987 in l947
1851 in 1948 and 1896 in 194s
In other words, while you were
collector. you had tax assessments
against you of $2,444?" Mr.. Curtis
asked. -
$4,000 to $4,000 Yearly.
Yes, sir" Mr.. Finnegan replied
Earlier, the witness made a
rough estimate" that his annual
income, exclusive of his Govern
ment salary. ranged between $780,
600 and $4,000. But when Mr.
Curtis sought a detailed break
down OF the income sources. Mr.
Flnnegan said he couldn't reply
unless he had his income tax re-
turns. which he said would show
sources of income.
A short time later, Mr.. Curtis
produced photostatic copes of Mr.
Ffnnegan's returns for the 1919
period and demanded to be told
where they showed detailed sources
of income.
From looking at these returns
this would be difficult to do, ,"eMr
F1nnegan replied. "All I see is
total gross income, less expenses. ~
The former tax collector said
he had turned over books that
would show the detailed income to|
bureau investigators, and that he
couldn't answer without them.
AT first I thought names and
amounts would appear on the in
come tax returns. From reading
these" he added, II can see they
don't"
Mr.. Curtis said the returns from
Mr.. Finnegan's law business
showed gross receipts of $36.783
in 1947. $30.867 In 1948, and $37.-
406 in 1949.
Expenses listed in the same re-