OCR Text |
Show INQUIRY IS ORDERED Special Grand Jury to Investigate Alleged Butterine Frauds Chicago, Mar 17. ludge Landis In the United States district court today to-day instructed a special grand jury to Investigate alleged butterine frauds compromised by the internal revenue department on March 1 The grand jurors are to learn If the manufacturers manufac-turers were not of conspiracy to defraud de-fraud the Government under section 37 of the national jenal code. The jurors also were Instructed to 'ascertain if any meniljer of the national na-tional government was guilty of conspiracy con-spiracy On this point the court said: "If therefore, the officers or agents or attorneys of a corporation tax ! debtor have conspired among themselves them-selves or with officers of the United States, or with other persons to defraud de-fraud the government out of the revenue rev-enue tax. anono of such persons has done any act to carry such conspiracy into effect they may all be proceeded agiiinst In account of such conspiracy en though the criminal liability of the tax debtor for the frau,) itself has l lecn specifically extinguished by the commissioner of Internal revenue, with the concurrence of the secretary of the treasury. ' Duty of Jurors. The jurors were Informed that the had authority to look into the oleomargarine oleo-margarine business and thai of manufacturing manu-facturing cotton seed oil and to briim .witnesses here from any aprt ol the eountrw If there was a common tin- Iderstaudlng among manufacturers, Judge Uandls instructed., 'it will be your dutv to Inquire with vers great care whether any public officer or Bgent of the goernment had a conscious con-scious part ni the arrangement." Judge l.andls told the jurors if wat discovered two years ago that big oleomargarine concern were using cotton seed oil treated with sulphur which resulted in the imitation look-iug look-iug like real butter The manufacturers, manufac-turers, he said, were unrned that the would'use the colored oil at their own committee, of the house of rc,,-resentativei rc,,-resentativei investigated and calculated calcu-lated the government hud been de- , rd Of $1,200,000 in taxes The committee also recommended thai the caeei be NOT compromised McVeagh Compromises Tax. Nevertheless 0D" of lhe ,ast acts of his late administration of tho treasury department. Secretan Mac-1 Vcagh 'compromised the penalties at 1101,000. This conipromi. continued ludge landis was based on the lav. giving the internal revenue bureau authority to compromise cases where the rev-, enuo law has ben violate |