Evening star., 1943-03-15
Crowds -Four Blocks
Long Line Up 10
Pay Income Tax
Revenue Bureau and Post
Offices Lenethen Hours;
Midnight DeodIine
Continued From First Page. }

the service. The closing times vary,
from pm to $50 pm.
At the main Office yesterday
clerks sold 1888 money orders, with
value of $4,000, and at the Ben
jamin Franklin station there was a
total of 1877 orders, with a value
of $4,000, for a total of $4,000.
Nearly all of them were internal
revenue orders, Mr. Burke said. The
two stations were open until mid
night.
Washingtonians may file returns
in the Revenue Building up to mid
night or mail them to the Collector
of Internal Revenue, Baltimore.
Vlrglnlans should mail their re-
turns to the Collector of Internal
Revenue at Richmond.
Crowds filed into the local income
tax office early, with the line run
ming up to almost four blocks long
in the early hours. Some observers
said, however, that the crowd was
not as large early this morning as
it had been last Monday. More than
200 experts assisted taxpayers.
At the Treasury Department off,
cials are hoping for a total Of
100000 income tax returns.
From Congress came a joint state
ment calling on taxpayers to file
despite pending legislation which
will change revenue laws in the
future.
-Four congressional leaders-Sen-
ators George, Democrat, of Georgia;
Vandenberg, Republican, of Michi-
gan, and Representatives Doughton,
Democrat, of North Carolina, and
Treadway, Republican. of Massa-
chusetts, Joined in the appeal.
1T is the duty and the privilege
of every one of us to send our fight
ing dollars into battle alongside of
our fighting men," the statement
said. The Nation needs your taxes
to smash the Axis"
The four congressional leaders
said no revenue plan now before
Congress could change or postpone
the tax obligation now due in the
slightest"
Heavy Returns at Cleveland.
Huge crowds formed at revenue
offlces in other cities, according to
the Associated Press, and returns
were pouring in.
AT Cleveland, where there were
recent reports of possible tax
strike, Collector Frank F. Gentsch
reported that weekend returns were
more than twice the number for the
first two months of the year. He
added that those who had threat
ened not TO pay evidently have
been jolted out of the defiant atti-
tude and are beginning to realize
that all these plans of 'pay-as-you-
go don't mean thing now"
Collection Offices in some cities
opened branches to handle the over
flow, and at Boston specially as
signed Internal Revenue Bureau
men were endeavoring to divert the
traffic to newly opened branch in
another building.
Because of new high rates and
lower exemptions, many persons
were forced to borrow money to pay
their taxes, and one group-men in
the 18-to-38 age bracket-found diff
ficulty in most sections. Loan agen-
cies felt the draft made many of
them poor risk.
Huge Take in New York.
In New York the second collection
district at custom. house reported
the Office banked $4,000 600 this
morning from yesterdays mail,
which swamped workers. Capt.
William J. Pedrick, the collector,
said he thought another s35 100000
to $4,000 900 remained to be count
ed from the one day take.
Estimates of increased collections
ran from 100 per cent in Florida to
200 per cent in New York.
AS an indication of the size OF
some Of the crowds, Phila delphia re-
ported 1000 persons at the internal
revenue office 20 minutes after it
opened today, with even policemen
lending helping hand to harried
taxpayers in filling out their re-
turns.
Newark again saw long lines form
ing at the Office there, where Of
ficials had to bar stairways and
elevators Saturday because of the
crowds.
Many human interest stories
bobbed up.
One woman went into the revenue
building here hopefully looking for
ward to deducting bad debt.
Il borrowed sl00," she said, and
I'm perfectly sure we won't be able
to repay it this year"
One man tainted in the long line
not far from the door where he was
expecting to get help in making out
his return.
First-aid experts hovered about
him When he came to, they want
ed to take him to a restroom.
mo, sir!" he retorted. I'm not
going to lose my place in this line"
In New York one man who said
he had three sons in the service
and did not have sufficient income
to pay tax told collectors he felt
he should pay $l00 anyway. His
check was accepted.
Also in New York q colored man
demanded that his dog be listed as
dependent. His claim was denied.
And in Atlanta, Collector Marion
Allen said the biggest headache to
the lastminute rush was a shortage
of pins to clip together checks and
blanks as they come in. He sent
his men to comb the city for more.