Pink Slips

Last week the House voted 302-98 to repeal the "pink slip" publicity provision of the Revenue Act of 1934. Two days later the Senate Finance Committee endorsed the House repealer. Meantime with many a snort & groan, millions of U. S. citizens filled out pink slips noting the highlights of their incomes and tax payments, filed them along with their income tax returns. "This is for the snooper," "Under protest!", "To whom it does not concern" and less printable jibes were written on the slips by taxpayers. At least one lawyer, declaring the "pink slip" law unconstitutional, filed suit to force the Treasury to keep his slip secret.

Chances were that no such action would be necessary. Nose-counters last week found the Senate strongly in favor of repealing the publicity clause. That the Senate would be slow to act was of small consequence, the Treasury having already announced that it could not possibly have the "pink slip" information ready for public inspection before summer.

The man most anxious for the "pink slip" law's repeal last week was one whom, as a taxpayer, it could not embarrass. Anyone may turn to a World Almanac, learn that the U. S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue gets $10,000 a year. But Commissioner Guy Tresillian Helvering knows that the job of compiling the pink slips would put a tremendous extra burden on his Bureau, cost the Government some $500,000.

The Commissioner of Internal Revenue handles more public money than the Secretary of the Treasury, handles it secretly and is usually the worst sort of political hack. Most past Commissioners have safely played the political game of their patrons while in office, later cashed in on their experience by becoming highly-paid "tax consultants." Impartial observers rate quiet, genial Commissioner Helvering, 57, well above the level of his predecessors. Born in Felicity, Ohio, he got to Congress in 1913 by way of law practice in Kansas, sat for six years as an active tax legislator. He was Mayor of Salina, Kans. for five years, chairman of the Democratic State Committee in the campaigns of 1930 and 1932. Kansas' once-potent Democrat Arthur Mullen got him appointed Internal Revenue Commissioner in 1933 over considerable objection by Republican Senators. Though he compromised last week with one famed income tax evader (see col. 2), Commissioner Helvering has distinguished himself chiefly by his firm stand against tax compromises.

Seven hours before the deadline for filing income tax returns last week, Commissioner Helvering called in person to receive President Roosevelt's return and pink slip. He had good news for the President. Tax receipts from all sources were up $393,000,000 from the same date last year. For the first half of March, income tax receipts were $191,358,909, up about 29% from last year.

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