The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-12-31

CHARLEST(
the last meeting, deeming 1t both impruden
and derogatory Of the public interests, be
cause under existing circumstances our license
system Is an Imperative necessity, and AM
doubts of It's conslitutlonallty are Ill advised
and badly timed. Our licenses have been pale
without protest In 1859, 1870, 1871, 1872. Why
should we apprehend that our people are lest
patriotic or more lligant than In former
periods!
Tam very sorry that the action OF the com.
mittee of ways and means should have been
80 spiteiully misinterpreted. Surely, that
committee was not in any manner oficous ID
their action; on the contrary, iJ was strictly
their proper junction, aud the time had ar
rived when further delay In the preparation
for the new years income would have been
reprehensible. The bill itself was not their
inception, but simply continuation of the
system OF taxation, to relieve The overbur-
dened real estate, and had been in existence
for years, with much relief to the treasury.
The licenses came In before the general taxes
payments without borrowing at high rates Of
interest. The committee merely improved
| the bill by submitting rate-a method OF
equalization, and relieving some OF the poor
or and more burdened interests, and includ.
ing and rating larger and more profitable
trades. It Is curious, but exceedingly honor
able, that ons member OF that committee in
creased his own license by the Improved sys.
tenn OF ratio TO an amount exceeding $500 with
| ont one word Of remonstrance. II there be any
doubts Of the constitutional applicability of the
| law, the question has not yet been decided,
and the system may be retained by the good
sense and wise patriotism of the community.
until more prosperous days shall have arriv-
ed. We all know that for the support OF good
i o0vernment q cartaJn arnODnt 0f tncnma Ia re-
quired. If we abolish the licenses, we have
| to increase the taxes. But our lands and
houses are now unprodnctive. 1 desire to
| lower the rate OF our taxes, but 1t cannot be
| done without the licenses, unless we reduce
our expenditures. This might be d0ne by
dsoharging half our police, and more than
half OF our street force, and by reducing our
public institutions, hospitals, orphan asylums,
almshouses, &c. and by refusing one dollar
| to improvements OF any kind. 1t would be a
pity, it would be sinful to stop now the march
! of our progress, when the beams OF o blessed
morning are gladdening our broken slum-
bers. trust 10 our citizens. Let the bill be
strictly equalized, but let us consider It
necessity which we cannot avoid. ii gentle
men will approve and advocate measure one
year, and adopt totally different course the
next, their reasons may be sufficient TO them
selves, but TO the we'll meaning and thinking
part OF the community they may appear inex-
plicable. We must have an Income from
licenses or from Increased taxes, Or else we
must curtaIl our expenses TO such degree
that our government will almost cease to
progress. In my opinion, onr taxes require
to be lowered, 10 induce confidence and pro-
gressive energy. rebuilding OF our waste
places. aud advancing rates OF property val
ues. This has been my aim and effort, and
think am not mistaken. Increased taxation
or an abandonment OF our municipal progress
is equally rnnous.
We may very we'll modify our licenses, re-
duce some that are now deemed oppressive,
and ehdeav0r TO approximate standard OF
general equalization; but the system should
be adhered TO until our debt ie sufficiently re-
duced, and our property enough Increased aud
remunerative TO bear the burdens with which
lt Is now threatened. Respectfully,
JOHN A. WAGNER, Mayor.
Alderman Vo!gt moved tile postponement
OF the bill, which motion was lost.
The bill was then taken up aud read BY
sections. 4 number OF amendments were
proposed and adopted. When the section re-
gardlng itlnerant salesmen was reached Alder
mau Pelzer moved to adopt the report Of the
committee on ways and means on the petition
OF merchants for the abolition of licenses on
agents of manufacturers or commission mer-
chants selling by the package only. The re-
port inclnded an amendment to the petition
which i.a aeosed-s.-tox-ot Of ono por- r-aant- upon
the sales of all merchandise, except liquors,
elected ty such agents, and amounting TO
$1,000; over $1,000 and under $4,000 half per
cent, and over $40, 900 one-fourth per cent.
On liquor sales one hundred per cent. addl-
tional. Alderman Voigt offered as an amend
ment that such agents be licensed according
to the schedule for resident merchants en-
gagged In the same branches OF trade, and that
no license be issued for less than three
months, which was adopted.
The remaining sections were passed without
alteration, and the bin was, on motion of Al
derman Moran, passed third time and or
deied to be engrossed and enrolled among
the city ordinances. motion TO change the
hou. ior the meeting OF Council from FIVE
o'clock P. NJ. to seven, was made and re-
ferred to the next meeting; whereupon Coun-
Gil adjourned.
The following is the license bill as passed,
with the amendments:
ArtstS, amOroIyplS'S, puOLOSIapnlSLS, Ia
rusrreaus, for each member Of the frm....$ 95
wholesale apothecaries, whose annual sales
do not exceed dfty thousand dollars 5000. 100
II exceeding nfty thousand dollars, for every
addition Al thousand In excess OF nfty thous.
and dollars. .................. 100000.
Retail apothecaries, whose annual sales do
not exceed ten thousand dollars............ 25
Those whose annual sales are over ten thous.
and under thirty thousand dollars. s.......... so
Those whose annual sales are over thirty
thousand dollars and under sixty thousand
dollars lVu
II exceeding sixty Thousand dollars, for every
additional thousand exceeding sixty theus.
Architects. 25
Auctloneer8. ou
Agencies carried on 0y other than regular
licensed merct ants, each. SO
steamship agencies. other than ferry boats,
for each agency. ...................- l0o
Sailing vessels agencies, other than ferry
boats, for each agency. rs
Steam ferry boat CO rpanies or agencies...... so
Ferry boat companies and ageEc!es. other
than steam. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 70
Commercial agencies. e5....................... 100
Collectors and real estate ageu's............ 70
Bank agents. .......................... 100
Banks. for every one hundred thousand dol
lars OF capital. 20
Bankers. .......................... 100
Builders aud master mechanics, OF ali and