The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-02-17
For the Dispatc CHI
Eonanfa Merchants.


Mr.. Editor.-In your editorial of Thurs.
day, 18th instant, headed as above, see you
have taken view of this subject quite in ac.
cordance with my experience. Let me add
| few remarks on each statement that you
make.
"The penalties provided against selling
| goods by sample which exist in many Of the
StItes are hostile to commerce, and proceed
from a narrow view Of the Interests TO
trade"
OF course we oil take one Of two views of
this question: Either it protects trade or
binders it. Let lis examine awhile, aad see
by what means it protects it: First, by
charging S25 tax for the license TO sample
| merchants to sell in the State. But the public
do not know, and if they do know do not
consider, the bearings of this tax. The Con-
stilutiou allows every corporation to impose
q tax at discretion on everything on which
| the State imposes = tax. The result of which
| is that after the sample merchant takes out
his license to sell in the State, and which
ne MUST procure before he offers goods in
any towI, or even presents himself
with business card. he then finds himself
called upon to pay $50 per annum to Rich
mond, s. per month To Lynchburg, $50 per
month TO Petersburg, So per month to
Staunton. $40 per day or $4,000 per annum
to Norfolk; and as | cannot cnumefatc all
the other towns accurately 1 stop here to cs-
innate the tax a re.ident drummer has 10
pay to be about $500 ere he gets through
the years trade by ,lling on his customers
in these cities once in every sixty days, as he
should do ; each city as you see, imagining it
bears us much relative Importance to the
other as the State Of Virginia imagines her
trade is important to other States. Norfolk
values her trade at Sl0 per diem, Lynchburg
at 1oc.; and stay to consider the fees the
officials get in these cities -75c. license
quite nice little perquisite; and in Lynch
burg amounts to % per cent. Of the tax
taken out monthly.
If mistake not, the law was framed ORR
gipally to protect the resident merchant in
Virginia who might 60 from one town TO an
other to sell goods from sample in the State
by imposing a heavy tax On sample mer-
chants from other States, and at one time to
the tune Of 5000. This was even so in the
State of Maryland until during the last year,
but not to such un exorbitaut amount.
take il if it fails to do this it fails TO be effect
ual. That it does fail in this Is evident from
the cases brought before our courts, and in
which our Judges have decided that our resi-
dent merchants are not exempt from this tax
when they sell by samples, and this, too,
when the law, upon the Interpretation OF
nine out Of ten, says he Is exempt from the
tax, although it imposes it on the non-resl-
dent sample merchant. But with the legal
aspect of the law I do not concern myself
That it binders trade there can be no doubt
II this law was framed to binder non-resi
dent sample merchants from conducting
their business probably by putting on such
tax as would hinder them from attempting
to sell in our State, this law as how applied
to resident sample merchants must also hin.
der them psoftably conducting the bust
ness.
1t is the interest of every retailer here 10
get this law repealed that they may be able
10 get goods Offered to them at the lowest
prices, and by proper use Of their capital to
| increase their profits.
Again, 1t is the interest of every consumer
to get this law repealed, tnat they may all
get every article of consumption, dress, aud
luxury ut as low price as pOssible-and
free trade always has tendency to reduce
prices. Now put ourselves in their places
for awhile. As I said before, il he does not
take the means ut bis command TO increase
his trade-yiZ., ming-he Is behind the
times; if lie does, then be is also hindered
| as well as Tue uou-leSiucuLs, ohu3 a. 'o'N,
comparatively more 30; for this reason, that
already non residents have large share Of
the cream of our reliable State trade, and
besides commanding the confidence of their
customers have u larger business, and are
weather. and better able to bear tax, that
proportionately to our business. and III oul
uphill efforts to grasp some of this trade
out of their hands, bears Its burthen upol
us. =.
You remark, In the next place: .
In great degree they are merely retail
atory, and retaliatory legislation Is to be de
precated rs necessity, and, in the majorii,
of cases even when passed under the plea o
necessity, do as much injury 70 the peopk
of the State that passes them as they do 4
Others" 800 ~
i This certainly Is SO In regard to towns, TO
as you must SEQ they operate as successtnll.
to keep ont the Richmond drummer IS th
New York drummer, and all to foster shei
! own smait enterprises, and tn doing Rhic
I they fail in the attainment Of thelrsohjec
i :.'tc s.teyences caG.e1 By tic mkeraAe ss'
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