The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-02
NEGLECTED. TO SEND
NAMES TO AUDITOR
Many Citizens Who Returned
Incomes Last Year Bunched
With Those Who Did Not.
REVENUE OFFICE ERRORS
Nothing in Supplemental Report
REVENUE OFFICE ERRORS
Nothing in Supplemental Report
From Tresnon to Indicate
One From the Other.

Investigating yesterday complaints
! from citizens that they had made no
supplemental report as to incomes to
the Commissioner OF the Revenue, as q
result of grand jury probe, The
Times Dispatch found that errors IN
| the list published yesterday morning
were made in the Commissioner of Rev
enue's department. The list as pub
liShed by this newspaper came from
the State Auditors office. which had
received it from the Commissioner sub
sequent to the adjournment of the spe-
clal grand jury. There were no errors
in copying the record obtained from
the Auditor.
Commissioner OF Revenue Tresnon
explained that in handling thousands
OF names IL is natural that some were
not included in the first report sent
TO the Auditor in the summer OF 1912.
1t rs his custom, AS he explained. to
file n supplemental report. thus pick
ing up the names which had been mad
vertently omitted III the first instance.
This goes in without regard TO any
court or grand jury action. But when
the investigation was ordered by Judge
Richardson. many citizens voluntarily
changed their returns, few being able
to understand the system and the re-
quirements. It so happened, there
fore. when Mr.. Tresnon sent in the
amended report he put with it the
names which his office had failed TO
transmit last summer. without any note
or citation to show one from the other.
Consequently many citizens who made
their returns and paid their taxes in
accordance with the law were punched
yesterday with those citizens who went
to the City Hall within the past two
months 10 change their figures all be-
ing punched because there was moth
ing In SIR. Tresnons supplemental re-
port TO distinguish them.
Made No Changes.
III the list published yesterday morn
ing appeared the name OF Mrs. w Il.
Tenant. Neither Mrs. Tenant nor
her representative appeared before the
grand jury. made no supplemental or
amended report, and did not change
the figures from those originally given
in long before Mr.. Trcsnon's report
was filed with the Auditor last sum
mer. Except for an oversight in the
Commissioners Office. Mrs. Tenants
name would have been included in the
list printed BY The Times Dispatch last
August
In adding up the property by Mrs.
Tenant, clerks in the commissioner S
Office left off bonds returned by her
amounting TO s22.i60. and to make the
books balance il was necessary for
the commissioner TO make supple
mental report While this was alto
by the commissioner in his later re-
port TO the Auditor.
T.. Victor Williams said last night
that while his name was printed yes
terday morning. he had made no
amended returns to the Commis sioner;
that he gave them in TO the Commits
sioner early last year, and that his
name should have been printed in Au
gust. except for the fact that il wac
omitted from the original report fled
by the Commissioners in 1912.
John p. Branch. who, in the list print
ell last year, WAS put down as having
paid taxes on the largest income in
Virginia. said yesterday that the sup
Elemental report which showed that he
had given in 100000 extra as the
amount OF cash on deposit was wrong.
Il never changed my original report
said Mr.. Branch. except in the matter
of automobiles. My clerk in making
no charges for automobile, for the
reason that the car was given me by
my children. I accidentally discover
ed that they had not been included. so
promptly listed them at their value
$4,000. and reported accordingly. This
was the only amended report / made"
y year ago, when Mr.. Branch returned
an income OF $4,000, he also listed
bonds ana deposits amounting to $500
600. This was in his original re-
rort.
Card From MIR. SiDton.
There was also an error on the Com
mssioner's part in the case of Samuel
were paid on November Z, 1912. The
Times Dispatch has received the fol-
lowing statement from j. w. Sinton
which explains itself:
I'm your account of the big increase
in tax returns. which appeared in your
saturdays issue. among the list OF
those who, it is stated, came forwa rd
under the grand jury's suggestion and
reported their incomes, appears the
name of Samuel Sinton
IN Justice to my uncle, who has for
some weeks been i'll III the hospital
ana is now, perhaps, very near his end
wish TO say that he has always
promptly made full returns of his prop
crty and income for taxation, and he
has added nothing to the income re-
turns which he made at the proper
time. before the matter OF tax returns
was brought to the attention of the
grand jury. II has been his custom for
yearss TO get from the Treasurer's Of
nee a list of the taxes OF himself and
others for whom he acted.
1T appears that by an oversight on
the part of some one, either in the
office OF the Commissioner of the Rcve-
nue. or the Treasurer. the amount OF
his income tax for 1912 was not given
him with this list but was sent him a
Few days later. His checks. dated No
VemDer 4. 1912, covering his income and
other taxes. were paid on November T.
1912
do not hesitate to say that no
citizen has been more conscientious in
making proper tax returns or more
willing to pay the full amount of his
taxes that Samuel Sinton. and it, would
distress him beyond measure to know
mat he is advertised as having neglect
ed this duty.
Respectfully.
-. w. SINToN."
1acr oa.n.u