New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-04
TrpNsEs IN O0oUPATIOEs.

doubtless the business portion OF the
CITY. including capitalists Of all kinds
have read with great satisfaction Mayor
Wits recommendation to abollsh
licenses. But the owners Of real estate
who can hardly keep the sheriff off their
premises, make wry faces att. The fact
that the value-the productive value, OF
real estate in this city is not equal to the
demand for taxes, renders it necessary 70
invite other interests to bear portion OF
the burden. The most obvious OF these
are the various industries, in which capital
ana labor combine to make handsome
profits. The rule that requires the real
estate owners to bear all the expenses OF
government is not equitable, as It taxes
one class Of investments and diets various
others grow free. There is no more pro
prietv in favoring business men az class
than there is in letting landlords and
owners of city lots off scot free. There Is
already an advantage in favor Of certain
callings, which leads men to sell out their
landed property to invest in bank and
other stocks, dry goods, cotton factorage,
and other pursuits which pay little OF no
tax. but from which large fortunes are
frequently made within short time and
with little risk. The license system, ii
properly adjusted, would bring to the
city treasury at least million
wear. There are various callings that
NAV be said to be rather injurious to pub
lie morals, others that a1e just barely
tolerable, and very many 50 unimportant
in a commercial sense that their entire
abr0oation would scarcely cause any Sc
rious inconvenience. These may be emu
merated, beginning in the order above
indicated, as whisky shops, tobacconists
and cigar makers, concert saloons, fortune
tellers, snake shows, gambling houses,
soda water shops, gun and pistol shops,
dancing academies, theatres, gymnasiums
and other small gear, that pick up large
sums Of money in the course Of the year,
and either directly Or indirectly furnish
employment to our police force. Again,
in monetary circles we have note shaYers,
short buyers, kite flyers and street opera
tors Of all kinds, who live off their wits,
do not own foot of land, yet make enough
generally in the winter to keep them
through the summer in a high priced
ITor+lnry, WATERING, Mace
Again, there are industries and occupa-
lions Of higher order than the foregoing
requiring talent and character to make
them successful. Banking and insurance,
printing and publishing, dry goods, gro
ceries, boots and shoes, hardware, drugs,
ETC.,. all Of which require the protection Of
the government, and should contribute
their proportion to the general fund. Ii
We could tax most Of the callings named
in the preceding paragraph out OF exist
epce it would be all the better, while we
we have no desire that any in the last
named shall be pampered and fattered
into the delusion that they are superior to
the people.
We have a very bad clause in our con
stitution, and a decision of the Supreme
Court under it, which have had PERM
cious effect. The time will come when
the first will be amended and the latter
made to conform to the existing political
necessity for the imposition Of licenses to
assist the struggling owners Of real estate
il bearing up under the public burdens.
The true doctrine Of taxation is that every
description of property that requires the
protection Of the laws should be assessed
for the expense. This would include
church property ana that devoted to,charo
table institutions, schools, etc, which the
Legislature could make exceptions Of if
deemed advisable.
The small tax now imposed in advance
upon those about to embark in the mer-
chandi8e business does not keep any cono
siderable number Of successful men back.
The license paid is q part Of the cost Of
stock in trade, and is very generally pro.
vided for in the selling prices. So that
poor men, especially poor widows and or
phans who sell fruit and peanuts, can not
be said to bear all the public expense. Be
sides, the great enemy to all successful
ventures competition would be as uni
versal as it is now or ever was, even if
there were no licenses nor any first cost
to be paid for goods. All the taxes i'm
posed upon merchandise that is in general
demand come out Of the pockets Of those
who consume it, for the merchant who
merely buys it to sell again usually looks
out for his profits, no matter what may
have been the cost Of the article to him.
A license is a part of this cost, and is viz
tually an entrance fee to be paid upon en-
tering into the general competition, with
theprotection Of the laws guaranteed.
TIE CUBAN CONFLICT,
The President treats this distressing
,,,l .;nIra7,;nc, contest; with 7,,rcb for