The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-10-03
Three Hundred and Porty-Three Tax
Bills Were Paid Yesterday.
THEY AMOUNTED TO s33,s3s.s7.
This Was an Increase Over Last Year
How Registration Js Progressing-I IL
Nearly Double That at the Same
Time In 1s0a.

Whle tnore IS no crush In the city
treasurer's offic, business Their. Is
pretty lively, though not quite 80 much
10 as 1t will be three weeks hence, when
tardy taxpayers will come In in
large numbers to escape the eight
per cent. penalty. The record OF the frs,
days work in collecting the taxes 10 very
encouraging. Three hupdred and fcrty-
Three bills were settled. amounting in the
aggregate to $33, ,53567.
Last year the number of bills paid was
slightly larger, being 365, but the
amount was only t29, 1881. Although
the hnnncial situation il not
very encouraging. the treasurer does not
spprehend that the percentage of
oeinquents will be much larger than in
previous years.
1t has never been the custom of the
treasury department to send out tax bills
"A general notice 10 given to property
owners through the newspapers to come
10 and settle and when they do
.ney see the amount Of the
bill for the first time ur.
less they have taken the troubl- to look
into the tax book. Were the 10, 500 bills
sent out by mail the expense Tor postage
alone would be $500, snug little sum,
especially In these times of financial
stringency.
Tho Winter Season.
Although the public works department
has put ON no new n en- since last July
none OF the regular working force has
been laid of A. yet The iorce Is reduced
every year when cold weather imterfsre s
with highway iupi ovements, the reduc-
tions being about one-half.
1t WAS said this morning that during
the coming winter between 800 aud 400
men Will be retained. These will D.
the PAYERS and pounders and they will
DC employed at the stone crusher, in
cleaning cutters OF ice and snow, aud
In repairing highways which may
become damaged BY wint storms
Every year as the cid weather sp.
proaches the msn bsgfu to leave the city's
employ OF their own will, as many {
them hnd indoor employment which
keeps them busy until spring. when they
are ready again to go to work for the city.
Registry Figures.
Yesterday foity-two names were added
to the registry iisf. msking the total thus
Tar on the hooks 9G5. This Is more
than double what it was
at the same time year
ago. No rec rd of the daily regulations
was kept in 1892 until Oct. IS. when the
totel number was only 446, and 1t wss
Ia er than the middle OF November when
it rea, hel the $50 mark.
AM ng the re sons given for the larger
REGISTRATIONS this year IL one to the effect
tnat many OF the mills and workshops
are running only four and five days a
week. The men having one or two hoi-
days on their hands are taking
advantage Of them to qualify themselvcs
rs voters instead Of waiting until the
closing days OF the year. 1t is
also probable that the activ.
ity am ng the Hebrews. Arreniaus, s,
and other foreign-born tizens has not
little to do with this increase. Acc ,rd-
ing TO the statements of the clerks at
the city hall many of this class who have
registered thus far did SO for the first
lime.
Ii this Is kept up in the same proper
tion for the remaining months of the
year. there IN reason to believe the total
registry will be larger than in 1892.
Notes About the Hall.
The committee on streets will hold a
meeting in room A at o'clock tomorrow
afternoon.
Commissioners Smith expects to be ready
to advertise for bids for the construction
OF the sewer in Dyer and Eddy streets
aud Aliens avenue in about six weeks.
There are m my Rrumblers at the hall
since che appointment OF night SCH ol
teachers was made, but that is always to
be expected when there are two appli-
cants for every position to be filled.
There Is considerable sp ulation as 10
whether the West combine will be able
to defeat the acceptance OF the councils
invitation to 60 into joint convention to
elect an Inspector or plumbing.