The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-04-14
ADVERSE TO
LIQUOR Men.
Finance Committee Took Up
Only Formal Petitions.
LARGE NUMBER r ULEDO OUT
They viii Doubtless Present Their PEI
tltons to the Board Of Aldermen
This Evening-No Action Was
Taken Last Night. 3S

gs5ARErieved over the license tax imposed
upon them and hoping to secure rebates
over two hundred merchants--chiefy
liquor dealcrsapp earcd at the City Hall
last night, expecting to be heard by the
Committee on Finance, as a result Of the
recent action taken by the Common
Council. Not over twenty, at the out
side, were admitted to tho private same
tun OF the Commissioner Of Revenues
room where the session was held while
the multitude awaited patiently on tho
outside. thinking surely their time would 'uAa5
come Nothing definite resulted from the
session. }5 81
III However, before hearing from any OF
the aggrieved dealers, the committee de-
cded that only those who had filed with
the Common Council genuine petition
would be heard. In taking this action
the body decided that list OF over two
hundred and fifty names were not COM
pcterlt, although they had been submitted
to the Council and referred.
NOTHING BUT NAMES.
The action OF the Finance Committee
in ruling out this list recalls wildly the
wild scramble In the Council chamber
when the liquor licenses were up. 1t VIII
Z be remembered that at the conclusion OF
the debate over the matter, the saloon
lists present tumbled over one another IN
mn effort to have filed with the clerk q
petition. Nine out Of ten Of the men sub
United only their names. foregoing Inc
lformality OF writing an appeal IN their
hurry. City Clerk Ben T. August was
suddenly possessed OF blank letter heads,
containing a single name; small slips OF
paper, long lists Of names. corners q
Enewspapers on which was scrubbed one
or two unintelligible words. And there
we're a few properly drawn ana 1a airy
we'll worded petitions OF complain NJ
ali Of these papers were on hand, ana
II was stated that every saloonist IN
Richmond was represented in the appl1-5
cations iy name, If nothing else The
body decided that only regularly drawn
petitions would be considered, and the
clerk was instructed to pass by all
papers on which was written only names
and nothing more, including tne car *,l
compiled typewriter list OF liquor
dealers.
When this was submitted Mr. Cren-
shaw stated that he was in position
to prove that over fifty of@3the people
whose names appeared on the list were
not appealing and were we'll satlsileo Win
their present rating. = 8, Z, ],
REPRESENTED PAWNBROKERs.
Captain George D. Wise was admitted
to the committee room. He stated that ne
represented three pawnbroknrs OF the
city, all OF whom desired to appeal from
the ratings Of the body, but close ex7
animation failed to reveal any formal Pc
tition submitted by them to the Common
Council AS result Captain Wise was
not heard.
After long discussion General Anderson
moved that all regularly drawn petitions
DO considered and reported upon to the
Council. This was passed.
Three or four attorneys, among whom
was Mr.. Harry Smith, appeared in behalf
Of certain dealers Under the committees
ruling he had only three clients to repre-
sent, and no told tho committee that not
one Of them was making money sufficient
to warrant them paying as high q IL
icense tax as imposed.
Mr.. Smith said that inasmuch as the
committee had decided not to consider
names, he would have to present petitions
FOR his clients at the meeting OF the Board
Of Aldermen tonight III
No definite action was taken last night
BY the committee as still other petitions
are to be considered. A report may be
formulated this week,