Evening star., 1941-04-01
Aufoisfs Are Warned
To Redeem Checks
Given for Tags
Day or Two Allowed
Before Collector Will
Ask Prosecution

While Traffic Department officials
looked ahead to next year when SELL
Ing tags out of spacious accommoda-
tions in the Municipal Center will
be real pleasure, Tax Collector
Guy Pearson served notice today on
several hundred" persons whose
check payments for license tags have
been turned back by banks because
of insufficient funds.
The checks must be redeemed
promptly, Mr.. Pearson said, or police
will call at the residence to collect
the tags. He said he already had
asked police to pick UP the plates of
three motorists who had been
warned but failed to make good.
The collector said he was giving
these persons "a day or two" to
make their checks good before he
asked for police action.
When the final count is made of
checks paid for the new tags, the
collector said he anticipated there
would be as many as 400 bad
checks" in all. He said he was not
asking criminal prosecution in cases
of insufficient funds at the banks
since he believed most all of such
cases resulted because persons were
waiting for pay day before rushing
to the bank to cover their checks.
25 Are Redeemed.
Twenty such checks were re-
deemed yesterday, five more this
morning and Mr.. Pearson is waiting
for seven other persons to come in
today or tomorrow with the neceS-
sary funds.
Instead of standing in line all the
way around the block from the de-
partment, taxpayers next year will
be able to gather in a huge lobby
and get tags at six windows. The
department will probably move in
June.
Meanwhile, the order TO pick up
cars with dead tags" went into
effect at am today, but only a
few arrests were reported and late
applicants again were standing in
line at the Ford Building.
Out of Town Cars Picked Up.
Two out-of-toWn cars without
proper tags were picked up by police
at No. precinct this morning and
another was picked up by No. 3 pre-
cinct police. There appeared to be
no wholesale drive on the part OF the
- 20 y,,NtoTictc
One baff1ed motorist called the
Traffic Department shortly after it
opened today, saying he had forgot
ten to change his tags before driv-
ing to work, although he did have
them and his new registration card.
He said he had his registration card
with him, but not the tags. He
wanted to know how to get home to-
night. The department could not
help him.
Days Total About 1000.
Yesterdays tag sale at the depart
ment amounted to 5,808, which,
added to an estimated 1000 from
the automobile clubs brought the
days total to about 1000. The total
now sold is $4,000, compared with
about 10000 this time last year.
1000 More Today.
Chief Clerk Edward Towers antic-
ipated another 1000 would be sold
today. Police ended the line yester-
day at 3 pm, he said, and 1t was
4:5O pm. before the last man got
his license plates.
Mr.. Towers said the department
has had noticeable increase of de-
mand for tags to be sent out of
town this year. More than 500 have
been sent all over the country, he
said, but principally to Florida.
Some one with a fair for philan-
thropy or promotion provided the
reading matter for the Stand-in-
liners today by handing out free
copies of a picture magazine.