The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-01-22
Matter or Paying PoH Tax
 Is Bringing On More Talk
By HELEN BETHEA

The varieties of people that make up the voting power of Jefferson county are more than seventy times f1fty-seyen if the women who are conducting the poll tax booths a. Drennen' department store and Love- man, Joseph & Loebs are any judges or human nature, they say.
 Early yesterday morning, just after the Drennen both had opened, dried Up farmer looking person and his buxom wife, who would have made three of him, came walking through the swinging doors of the store.
 Pay your poll tax?'' asked Mrs. Litton, sweetly
 My woman can't yote." said the small one. giving his larger helf a shove which sent her precipitateIy into the store. The collectoresses looked at each other in dumbfounded amazement. Apparently he worked on the old theory, Give them an inch and they'll take an ell" One knew from their relative sizes that if she did take the proverbiai ell he would not have chance.
 Then there was the fluffy blonde with the lines in her face and the simper on her mouth
 Pay your poll tax?" intoned the ladies in charge.
 Mercy. dearles," she cooed, mas saging her chewing gunm lovingly T ain't old enough to vote.'
 "fcu would hardly believe the num- Der of that kind who live in cur town, said Mrs. Wallace. "One of them came by eevry few minutes dur ing the day"
 Along came a lady with bobbing flower Tn her bonnet and covered basket on her arm
 Pay your roll tax?n came the song.
 Down went the basket on the tiled floor, and the lady took the position militant, with her hands on her hips and her lower lip protruding.
 Tt does seem to me that if there is one thing in this world that the men folks can do without the, help of Us women, you girls would be willin' to let them alone long enough so they can do 1t. ], for one, have so much work to do that don't get half done with it now, let alone talk ing on a contract to vote and payin for it, too.' She waxed eloquent, on and on through several columns on the subject. Why, men should do the voting
 A lovely flapper undulated through the door at Loveman's, dusting rice powder on her uiquant nose as she came.
 Pay your poll tax?" The collector ess' throat was by now getting q little dry,
 "Oh thank you, dear, but I really haven't time. I'm to meet Tommie a. o'clock and it is quarter past now" She flashed platinum wr,st watch the size of dime. Besides, l voted last time on a parked street don't know what shall do about it, if anything" She disappeared in q thick mist of perfume
 Grandma--an old-fashioned one bobbed through the door.
 The same old question. and graHG- mas nose wrinkled in a delightful little grin.
 You know, before by Jim died. whenever he would not vote like I wanted him to, I would wish that 1 had vote to use against him, but since he is gone I just feel like 1t wouldn't be fair to take advantage of him now that he is dead, so I don't guess l will ever vote.' She chukled and her eyes grew misty.
 Then there is the lady who rushes in to the booth in furry of excite ment. She is going to pay her poll tax so she will be ready to vote the republican ticket.
 John always votes the democratic ticket and he is so funny about 1t, you know, just feel like win scream If we don't have something besides democrats in the house."
 As long as one stands there the sur- prises continue to arrive.
 There is steady flow of women passing in and out, many of them with their little children swinging at their skirts: some with babies in their arms; all eager to pay their pcll tax, just as they are eager to per- form any other duty for the good of the present and the future.