The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-30
TEE LICENSE Tx.
Conference OF the Committee OF the
Chamber OF Commerce and tho Conn
nttreo OF Ways and Means.

Coufereuce OF the Committee OF the
Chamber OF Commerce and the Conn
naittee OF Ways and means.
The committee Of the Chamber OF Commerce
had q conference yesterday evening, at the
City Hall. with the Mayor and the committee OF
ways and means of the City Council. There
were preseut-Mayor Wagner, and Aldermen
Pelzer, Smith, O'Neill and Sweegan, of the
wsys and means committee, and Messrs. q.
Davis, VIM. Ravenel, @. z. Huger, B. G.
pinckney, W. L. Trenholm and G. 8. Came
ron. OF the Chamber OF Commerce committee.
Colonel Zimmerman Davis, the chairman Of
the committee OF the Chamber Of Commerce.
read brief statement of the alterations pro-
posed by the committee to be made In the
license bill. Amongst these were the follow.
Ing: sThss the license Of auctloneers. real es-
tate agents and stockholders. when the three
pursuits are followed BY one person or firm,
be nxed at fifty dollars; that private billiard
tables be exempt from license tax; that the
license tax on cotton presses be reduced; that
steamers be taxed according to tonnage; that
the amount of license required OF dealers In
naval stores De reduced; that the tax upon
the gross premiums received by Insurance
agencies !! be reduced; that the tax on
cotton brokers be reduced; that the
tax on savings banks be graduated ac-
cordlng to.the amount of deposits; that all
agencies for the sale of fertilizers, whether
made here or elsewhere, 0e taxed; that all
wholesale dealers be taxed at an equal and
Uniform rate. These several propositions
were, explained and supported by Messrs.
Huger, Trenholm, Davis, Pinckney and Cam
eron who gave, at some length, an expression
Of their views; Colonel >Dlvie, on the part OF
the commi.tee, assuring the committee OF
ways and means that no laotious opposition
was desired or Intended, the only object Of
the committee being to harmonize, If possible,
the Views OF the Council and of the clizens.
Mayor WAGNER, and Aldermen Pelzer,
Smith and O'Neill explained the position of
the Council. They said In substance that they
had had an unpleasant duty to perform; that
IL was impossible to levy license tax which
would suit every one; that they saw no other
way' of reducing the tax on real estate, which
they expect to bring down to 81 rs or 81 80;
that the license tax was only estimated 10 pro-
duce $l2o 900, one-halt Of which had already
been paid; that main objection to the license
law had been removed by the adoption by
Council of resolution to allow commission
merchants and others TO make quarterly re-
turn OF the actual business. and pay upon that,
instead Of estimating year In advance; that
tine time for the payment of the license tax
had been extended only to February l, and
that no meeting OF the City Council would be
held before that day.
The conference was pleasant aad informal,
both committees expressing their opinions
earnestly and candidly. At ils conclusion,
Colonel Davis requested that his committee be
notified as soon as possible OF the decision OF
the committee OF ways and means upon the
matters submitted to them.
1t is expected that the answer of the COM
mittee of ways and means to the committee
of tho Chamber will be made to-day. Judging
from the tsne Of the conference last night, 1t
is tolerably certain that the committee of
WAYS and means. while regretting sincerely
that the citizens did not take action before
the bill had passed, will decline to make any
change in the law as 1t stands.