The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-07
TAX PAYING DIFFICULT.
Crowds Of People Block the Court House
Corridor.

The Electoral Commission Appealed TO
to Prevent Disorder-The Tax Collec-
tors ONCE a Crush of Tax Payers
From Morning Until Night-The Office
Force Kept at Work All Night.
1t was a hard day yesterday with Tax
Collector J. ]. MCGOWAN. At o'clock
in the morning three hours before his
office door was opened, the people began
gathering in front of the court house. but
they were not allowed to enter the build
ing until o'clock. Before that time fully
200 people had gathered and that many
Immediately formed in line. scrambling
for places as soon as the court house
doors were opened.
There was no chance for the late ar
rival, as many of those at the end of the
line at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, when
the doors were closed, were shut out en-
tirely. Altogether about 25O got into the
tax collectors Office during the day, and
some of these had little lists with six or
eight taxpayers on them. They were ell
poll tax payers, and the taxpayer who
wanted to get even with the state and
county on his property assessment was
not in it. There was scrapping in the line
all day long, fights occurring at intervals
that promised to be serious had not the
belligerent parties been interfered with by
officers. Twice during the morning the
tax collector had to have his Office door
closed so as get rid of the ruffilanism and
noise while he was engaged in making
out the receipts
County Treasurer Waring Russell be-
came so incensed at the noise and tur-
MOL around his Office door that he sent
up the electoral commission to see if
something could not be done to relieve the
situation. The commission, however. de-
cided that 1T could do nothing unless the
noise became so great as to interfere with
the courts, in which case the Offenders
might be brought up for interfering with
the administration of justice. The courts
however, experienced no Inconvenience
from the noise, and the only remedy was
from the officers of the law, who did what
they could to keep the boisterous element
quiet.
Capt. MCGOWAN and his clerks are hav-
ing hard struggle of it this week 1t is
o'clock in the evening before they fin
ish with the days receipts, a great many
DtillS OiA tie liSlu6 OF the once Wlen the
doors close at o'clock. They return to the
office after supper, and it is o'clock in the
morning before they finish checking up
the days work.
They ask and they are entitled to some
indulgence from the citizens under the cir
cumstances. 1t is not a simple matter, as
some suppose, to receive a mans poll-tax
and give him a receipt. Each name has
to be looked up on the digest, and it has
to be determined whether he made his
returns or not, and in case he has not
done so he has to pay a double tax
This requires an explanation in each case
as no taxpayer is willing to pay out 81
if he can get out for ST.
Capt MCGOWAN has received large num-
bers of letters from property owners in
which they inclose checks for the pay
met of their taxes, but, owing to the rush
of the poll tax payers he has not had an
opportunity to open or look at his mail
for the last three or four days. The con-
sequence is that he has not been able to
send them receipts. He says they will get
their receipts in due season If they will
give him a little indulgence, for while the
rush is on he will not have an opportunity
to attend to them.
There are great many tax payers who
think all they have to do to entitle them
to registration is to pay their poll tax
This is mistaken idea. Capt. MCGOWAN
says that all taxes must be paid and a re-
ceipt in full given at the same time
The rush will probably continue for sew
eral days. If any citizen fails to pay his
poll tax in time to register it will be his
own fault. about three months have
been given for this purpose The books
will probably close within eight or ten
days, and the last day of the registration
will come about that time so there will
likely be a pretty heavy run on the tax
collectors Office up to the last day.