The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-12-31
LOCAL MATTERS.

TAXING PRoDucE FOR MARxET.-We have
taken occasion several times to notice the effect of
the sixteenth section OF the present ordinance resuIa-
ting .ne mafAslsane nave 1pIessed tne opinion that
/ of by the country people, and had tendency to
throw a large portion of the butter. eggs, G.h,
fowls fruits and egeables, brought TO the city, into
the bands of spectators. As the words license and
tar seem ndigestible to the stomachs of of the
wise "city fa.hers," who claim the present. ordi.
nance the e7nanaton of their brains, viii dis
card the of them f0- the present, and give that
portion of the ordinance we find it printed, eay-
ing the reader to Judge whether il. spirit Is or not
tax license. The sixteenth section, the first
/ portion OF it, reads thus:
There shall be paid to the Clerk of the Market by
any and each person who sells offers for sale
/ either Market within this City, any butter, eggs
fish, fowls fruits, or vegetables. 10 cents for each
| and every market day or part OF market day, such
person shall occupy q stall stand of any kind
| cart wagon or other place within the limits of
| such Market, unless such person be an annual
renter of bench stall in said Market; and
none of said articles of butter. eggs, fish, fowls
1 fruits vegetables, thus offered for sale, ehal
| have been purchased while on their way TO market,
fruit vegetable be the production of another State,
or if produced in this State, at distance not less
than - miles from this city,
Atthe last meeting eff the Council, MIR. Hill pro-
fessed desire to the charge (not censel of ten
cents day now made against persons for selling in
| the markets done away with, and free permission
given TO all to bring their butter, poultry, eggs,
fruits and vegetables to the market houses and there
sell them, without charge. He knew that the coun-
L
citizens had TO pay it at last he in fa-
| vor of doing away with it altogether.
And Mr. Hin was right. The country people do
complain of it, while citizens are injured by
| it, We know that some of the Council contend that
the city has gone to the expense Of building
ket houses those who sell in them should pay for
their support; but did ever occur to these gentle
that the market places were established for the
convenience of our citizens Suppose the market
houses abandoned altogether, does any one be-
heve that the country people would be the losers
by iti Certainly not. The same demand would then
| exist that now does for their produce.
The present system of charging each person ten
cents per day for selling in the markets brings into
the city Treasury about $1,000 per year, but it takes
out of the pockets of the people more than treble
that by forcing them to purchase of specua-
tors instead ofthe original producers, who will not
| pay the tax.
| this: A poor woman having dozen or two eggs
pound two of butter if she sells it at the market
ulator pays no more to be allowed to sell hundreds
ofdoars worth. Viewed in this light, it is oppres-
| sing the poor, and should be repealed.
But the grand for desiring to the
diDance amended. is, that it tends to create
poly-to give certain cliques the control of the
cesseries of lie, and to engender unnecessary ha-
tired IN the breast OF the country against the city, in
stead of encouraging as it should do, the producers of
poultry, butter fruits vegetables, etc. to bring their
products to market and dispose of them at their
| prices. 1t may be that we do not understand the
present ordinance, 1--WE should like to one
that did, and that the ten cents charged for selling
pound Of butter or dozen eggs, is all right and
proper but hnoU that the people dissatisfied
with it, and that account should like to see
the motion of Mr Hill renewed at the next meet
ing of the Council, and the ayes and noes called
when the is taken on it. The Council has just
the rightto tax every bushel of grain and every
leaf of tobacco brou to market as has to charge
ten cents for the sale of poultry etc and if to do
one would be nexpedient and injurious to the inte-
rests OF the city. the other is certain degree
and should not be tolerated. Instead then, of MAX
ing the country people pay for furnishing our cit-
with the necessaries of life, let the Council go
to work and give them inducements to raise poultry
ripJ thar7 to ~
where they may be obtained without the aid of spe
cularors.