Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-23
THE REVENUE OFFICE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. STILL
FIGHTING ITS REMOVAL.
SECY GAGE ASKED TO INTERVENE
He VIII he Urged to Weigh the Mat
ter More SeriousIy-The strong
Forman In RichmOnd's behalf.

Z | felcVsDuTB, ana 10 the action OF tn'
Richmond Chamber of Commerce in the
; premises, the subjoined statement. sub
mitted to the Commissioner on the 10th
instant by Hon. John Lamb and Mr.. w.
o. SHELTON, will give a history of the
proceedings of the Chamber. the To-
and Liquor Trade, in connection with
this matter. and the reasons prompt
ing their action.
Though this statement was supple
mented by earnest and vigorous protests
from Messrs. Lamb and Shelton. and
though the question had previously had
the earnest attention of Mr.. Leon Wal
lerstein, chairman of the Chambers
| Committee. who is now absent from the
city; Mr.. Cazeneau Mcleod, secretary
of the Tobacco Exchange, and Mr.. F. ID.
| Beveridge. president of the Richmond
| Wholesale Grocers' Association, and
merchants and manufacturers who met
Colonel Brady in his first interview at
the Chamber. the Commissioner has or
dered the removal of the Office to
Petersburg.
The occasion seeming to the Chamber
70 fully justify such course, the
Hon. Secretary of the Treasury.
Lyman J. Gage. has been requested by
the Chamber to intervene and suspend
any order Of removal unit! the merits of
the case can be fully presented to
him. Should he grant this request the
active and vigorous cooperation of all
business institutions in the city will be |
asked TO endorse the position of the |
Chamber. and unite in an appeal to |
the Secretary to prohibit a change so
contrary to good public polcy-viz.. that
an office of this dignity and importance
shall be moved about to suit the con-
Yenience and pleasure of each success !
sive incumbent. and moved from the To-
cation at which it's business is princi
pally transacted.
THE CHAMBERS STATEMENT.
This is the statement submitted to
Forman on Saturday:
Having been informed on yesterday by
Colonel James ID. Brady that the ques-
ton of the location of the main office OF
this district will be sumitted for your
decision on Saturday, the 10Th instant, in
the interest of the revenue service, as
well as on behalf of large and important
business interests at Richmond, we nave
the honor to bring TO your attention the
objections TO the removal of the office OF
the Collector of Internal Revenue for the
Second District of Virginia from its pres
ent location in the city of Richmond to
the city of Petersburg.
Shortly after the appointment of Colo
lel James ID. Brady Collector, reports ]
appeared In the newspapers to the erect
hat the removal Of this Office from Rich
nond 10 Petersburg was contemplated.
rhe Richmond Chamber of Commerce {
having communicated with Colonel =
Brady, 1t was learned from him that such :
emoval was under consideration
Through further correspondence a con- Z
erence was arranged for and held Au- | L
ust 6. 1897 at this Chamber between &
'olonel Brady and representatives of the X
'hamber, the Tobacco Trade. and the
liquor Trade of Richmond touching TINS ii
ubject. L
After a full discussion II was agreed a
hat the matter be referred to the Com p
Missioner Of Revenue at Washington In al
is office on August q, 1897, and that rep q
esentatives of both Richmond and Pc u
'rsburg should appear before the Com b.
Missioner and present the respective
aims of those two cities in respect TO ca
he question at Issue. Colonel Brady NJ
greed to arrange with the Commissioner
" the conference on the date mentioned, N
nd that he would be present himself TO
resent his views; after which he would
ave the matter in the hands OF the
and be guided by his the w
opinion as to the proper phi
cation Of the office. Ca
In accordance with this arrangement, a Sc
preventative from Richmond on the AN
tie named above visited the office or tai
e Commissioner Of Revenue, and on no
at occasion met Mr.. George w. Wilson, | WI
ting Commissioner, and Colonel James en-
Brady. but no representatives from En-
tersburg were present. and the repre- ex
NATIVE from Richmond was informed. eel
ter having submitted his argument.
at the case could not be formally con-
ered, as no application for the removal
the office from Richmond had been
,de. Under these circumstances our COT
preventative secured a promise from | DEF
lionel Brady that should he decide at | vel
Y future time 10 make application for Wis
III removal one weeks notice would Me
given the Richmond Chamber before Kr
d application was made. 9th
THE POINTS TO CONSIDER. LOT
We therefore beg to invite your atten-
n to the following considerations,
ich are with some few additions. sub A
ntially the same as those presented sma
the informal discussion of this sub job
t at the commissioners office in Wash day
ton on the 2lst of August: the
The office being now located at Rich dow
nd ii would seem that its removal and -,
consequent expense and disturbance 80
It's established relations which would
incurred, can only be fully justified ~
n positive demonstration that the good {(
he service requires such removal, and n
is believed to be impossible of de-
for reasons hereinafter APP
ring.
Richmond. by the last census 0he
It reliable source of information for (
lparsonl, had population of Sl,3S : y
ibitants and Manchester just across
unexpectedly the same commu-
had 9246. total 1854; while Peters 2
Z, by the same census, had popula- Z
Of only % $50 Ii being also the capital z
the State, all the sheriffs come TO &
lmond to make their final settlements &
through their hands much OF the &
brandy and retail liquor dealers tax &
aid, thereby affordng the most con- &
ent and economical mode of settle &
[ TO those two classes of Taxpayers g
ughout the district
Of the wholesale liquor dealers, recti- g
;, and retail liquor dealer tax, more y
three fourths is upon Richmond y
ness.
OF the manufactured tobacco tax y
more than three fourths goes from
mond - Petersburg manufacturing
,ipally export tobacco. y
Richmond having a government de- y
DRY and Petersburg none, the loca-
81 the office at Richmond would OBJ y fh
the risk. delay, and expense which 2 a.
d be involved In Transporting the n,
Of the receipts OF the Office from Pc III
urg TO Richmond, should IL be To- 4 an
at Petersburg. ba
dore than four fifths OF the total re-
S Of the district are collected at ~"
mond, and owing TO the number OF 4 ca
,ads eentering at this point, it Is s pc
aniently reached from all quarters OF & eaI
istrict. and Is by far the most acces- "S1
location to the greatest number OF
ayers In the district.
He COLLECTIONS COMPARED.
present the question concisely in an Z n
shape. 1t appears that the actual z ~
tions for the fiscal year ending 1Ht
80. 1897, were on tobacco, cigars and XIII
sttes: EAi
chmond ........... .........S 81. 434. $40 43 & III