Tax Book a Best Seller--but Ending Is Not Happy for All

The best-selling book in Washington on Wednesday was available in only a few select stores, had a drab white cover and was sure to be far from pleasant reading to many of the persons who bought it.

More than 10,300 copies of Government Printing Office stock No. 048-000-00373-7, otherwise known as “The President’s Tax Proposals to the Congress for Fairness, Growth and Simplicity,” had been sold by noon Wednesday--many to lobbyists for clients concerned about losing their favorite deductions.

Lines formed outside the doors of the main printing office building and its branch bookstores as early as 6:45 a.m., and most of the 12,000 copies available to the public were snapped up at $18 each. One man bought 1,000 copies.

“The lobbyists all want it today, then they’re through with it,” printing office spokesman Donald Quaid said. “There is very high demand for the first month, then interest trickles off.”