The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-08
HEAVY INCREASE
IN TAX payment
Over Ten Thousand Voters
Qualified Themselves in
Richmond.
YESTERDAY WAS LAST DAY
Whiskey People, Temperance
Advocates and Labor Unions
All Work Hard.

Long rows of earnest, persistent tax
payers in the offices of the City Treas
urer and the clerk OF the Hastings
Court yesterday reminded one of old
| times in jackson Ward. when men stood
in line as long as three, or four houcs
| seeking an opportunity tosNote. -
| 1t was the last day for paying poll
taxes in order to vote In the elections
OF 1908, and men flocked to the City
Hall from early morn until O'Clock
| p. NJ, when the doors We're closed In
order to afford the deputies chanee
to figure out the days work before
Sunday morning.
Treasurer Pace was somewhat IN
doubt as to whether he should Keep
open tomorrow. the last day Of the
six months prior to the election" fall
Ing on Sunday, and therefore early III
| the day he consulted the Attorney
] General. The latter gave an opinion
setting forth that persons paying thsir
!, poll taxes after last night would not
be qualified to vote In the election TO
,be held on June 9th of next year. This
i ended 1t, and Treasurer Pace shut down
| at O'clock though he gave every lat
| itude possible for late payments Tine
| office closes on Saturdays mt 4 p. NJ.
4 and he and his deputies received poll
! taxes up to 6 o'clock. SO as to let in
| as many as possible.
MIR. Christian tsusy, Too.
While all this activity was in pro-
I gress downstairs, MIR. Walter Christian.
clerk OF the Hastings Court, was. In his
| Office on the next floor. receiving the
| taxes of those who We're delinquent
for the years 1905 and 1906. The Treas
urer had only the tickets for 1907.
i those for the preceding wears mentioned
1 having been turned over to Bthc clerk
j of the Hastings Court.
4 In order to vote q man must haves@a
4 "clenn sheet" so far as poll taxes areS
H concerned, and many paid 1907 tickets
lin the Treasurer's office aud then went
a up to Mr.. Christian for the back num-
bers.'' 1t was q hard day for the
\ popular clerk as his deputy. Mr..
a Breeden, was confined to his home by
i, sickness. and he had the whole bur-
/ den on his shoulders s
Late In the afternoon the deltnduents
q piled in so heavily that Mr.. Christian
Il was forced to clear his office, lock
Il the door, and admit them one by one
Then it was that the long, anxious line
. Of citizens formed in front of the door
and stretched nearly across the hal
Z One At n Time.
Al, fast as Mr.. Christian could wait
Zen one. he was excused and another
! was admitted, and so on until he about
disposed of all who came before he
closed his office for the night The
rush in the Treasurers Office was quite
as heavy. though there wereSa q number
CT deputies to wait upon the callers.
and they We're therefore not Kept
4 standing for any length OF tine
4 IT Is estimated that about 10000 to
q 10b00 Richmond voters have paid their
$Ipoll taxes. and are therefore qnalified
4 10 participate in the June and Noyean- Y
I her elections next Year. The last poll,
| tan payment showed something like
$500, so this is regarded as Il most
( remarkable gain, Yet when allsthtngsa
Il ere considered, this great pulling UP in
Il the vote should cause no surprise.
!, Strong Combinat tons.
The Ewhiskey people, the temperance
y advocates. the Union League Club and
{ the Democratic and Republican polls
tlcians We're all at work asking their
: friends to pay up so us to be ina posi-
! ton to vote, and 1t Is said that such a
j. combination pulling together with a
t single end had n ''royal flush whlppsd
! to death for, success. +
y The officials and deputies having
= charge OF the work of tax gathertIss
/ have spared neither time nor pains 70
) accommodate the public In the matter,
!. and the offices have been kept open be-
3 You'd regular hours nearly eVarye day
= since the rush begun.
y The total number OF qualified voters
Z Twin be figured out as soon as Is prac-
I. ticable, and then the lists win be pubs
IlIlished alphabetically and posted by the
d clerk of the Hastings Court.
!. TOYS, Al sis ~ Is 81
i'll Tompkins, s07 West Broad. oniy