Women’s Tax Resistance League Meets; Distraints and Tax Auctions Continue

The Vote

I’ll finish off this year-long series of this-day-in-The Vote tax resistance history posts with a bit from the issue. You can find a chronological index to the entire series at this link.

Come and protest against the official robbery of married women carried on by the Government for their own benefit. Earl Russell and Mr. [Israel] Zangwill will speak on the subject at the Caxton Hall on The meeting is organised by the Women’s Tax Resistance League.

Women’s Tax Resistance League: A Public Meeting will be held in Caxton Hall, Westminster, on Monday, April 28th, at 8 p.m., to expose the official robbery of married women, and to demand a just amendment of the Income Tax Acts in the new Finance Bill. Chair: Mrs. Cecil Chapman. Speakers: Earl Russell, Israel Zangwill, & others. Tickets (2 shillings, 6 pence reserved, 1 shilling and 6 pence unreserved) may be obtained from the offices of the League, 10, Talbot House, 98, Saint Martin’s-lane, W.C.

Also in the same issue:

Distraint on a Duchess.

Distraint was levied, on , upon the property of [Mary Russell] the Duchess of Bedford in non-payment of Imperial taxes due in respect of the Prince’s Skating Rink, and a silver cup was taken to satisfy the claim. The Duchess has instructed the Women’s Tax Resistance League to point out that this is quite out of order, because as a married woman she is not liable to taxation, and therefore neither assessment nor demand note should have been served upon her, but upon the Duke of Bedford. She, however, allowed the authorities to proceed in this perfectly irregular manner because she wished to use their mistake as an opportunity of making her protest against the treatment of Woman Suffrage by the present Government in the practical way of refusing to pay taxes until women are enfranchised. Her comment is: “Obviously it is not my business to point out the law to those whose duty it should be to understand it.”

Also in the same issue:

Women’s Tax Resistance League…

A quantity of silver, the property of Miss Rhoda Anstey, Principal of the Anstey Physical Training College, Erdington, Warwickshire, was sold on , by public auction, under distraint for King’s taxes. The sale and protest meeting took place in the gymnasium of the college, and the speakers at the meeting were Mrs. [Margaret] Kineton Parkes and Miss Dorothy Evans; Miss Leonora Tyson presided.

On goods, the property of Dr. [Francis] Ede and Dr. [Amy] Sheppard, of Upper Berkeley-street, Portman-square, W., were sold by public auction at 26, Lisson-grove, W.; Dr. Ede made a protest against the sale in the auction rooms. The speakers at the protest meeting which was held after the sale were Miss Amy Hicks, M.A., Dr. Ede, and Mrs. [Anne] Cobden Sanderson.

On , Miss Rose, of Frinton-on-Sea, had goods sold under distraint for King’s taxes, and Miss Amy Hicks, M.A., was the speaker at the protest meeting held in the small Town Hall, Miss Rose being in the chair.

The first tax resistance sale in the Lake District took place on , when Mrs. [Kate Raven] Henry Holiday had goods sold by public auction at Hawks-head, Ambleside. A most enthusiastic protest meeting was held after the sale, the speakers being Mrs. Kineton Parkes and Miss [Winifred] Holiday.

On , goods, the property of Miss Corcoran, were sold at Loughborough by public auction, followed by a successful protest meeting.

Miss Beatrice Harraden’s goods were sold on , at Gill’s Auction Rooms, Cambridge-road, Kilburn. Miss Harraden explained, in the auction room, the reasons for her refusal to pay. At goods belonging to Dr. Mabel Hardie and Miss Gibbs were sold. There was a procession after the sale to public meeting at corner of Harrow-road and Elgin-avenue.

Dr. Jessie Murray’s goods were sold on , at Davies’ Auction Rooms, 15, Upper-street, Islington, and a protest meeting held after sale at Highbury Fields.

On goods of Mrs. Beaumont Thomas and Mrs. Mary Sutcliffe will be sold at Warren’s Auction Room, 73, Battersea Rise (five minutes from Clapham Junction) at Protest meeting after sale. Supporters urgently needed.