Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-04-02

obliged 10 Won. gentlemen. for your kind at
ieBiion in listening 10 these crude sugges-
tioTs.
Remarks nv Mr. John r. Mitchell.
Mr.. Mitchell said--AS one of the business
men. and purely business men, not having
any LEGAL standing in the community, and
as one vy,lo has talked among the business
men Of the community. knowing that was
romirg 10 the committee. ! have beer
~ ksd bY quite number Of them 10 preSS -
a single ease To the consideration of the & -
nisStoEeTS-rOt expecting 10 give yC =, az
very new ideas, but, perhaps: to p ace Nc
II posse sion o. some facts which. % hSSiDg
business men. you might not be .,u-Sre Of in
regard To- the effect Of the con" .rSctir,-, 81 the
law IS You have laid II ID" ~n. During the
months Oi February and farcb all busineSs
men 40 into the maTke' for Tho pprnose ~
laying in their suppl ss-the proiuce of my
friend lansbuTsh mere. Mr.. bacon, myself
heTchaEdiSe- our stcck ON the lst day
OF Apin Is larger than on any
OUR "as peThapso;, o We GO go into the
10 eeO -.vOrth Of goods during those months.
We. Y large portion of those goods We do not
e. Pect TO open, or put our hands upon in the
way OF transaction. until perhaps jane or
July. We have. in the second place. not pail
for the entire amount OF tie purchases which
we have made. We have paid Il portion of
We are in debt in New York. where our
paper - given and that paper is taXeL But
yOU claim under this law to tax rs both for
the sock on hand that is paid for, and the
stock on hand that We have purchased on
credit, and the papcr which represents the
credit OF Tho stock in our pO>SeS>i ion. il taXe1
again M some D6ighboTiug place or not as
the place may be, according to the locality of
cur purchases y prior law has laid upon us
a tax called a license of II per thousand for
the privilege Of doing business within the
JUri. d.ctiCn Of this corporation. You now
II"I o>e - levy upon uS an &ddltlo:.al tax of
al per thousand. upon movable stock of
GoOCS, WhiC = upon the lSt day Of April; for
instance. IN many eases il may amount to
S-O.sfr or = .Te.tn. Iron the fSt OfJuIv five
lou
tEat. for 70 il our object ard purpose on the
1>t of July 10 have our stock down to the
lowest pos bic amount. 3s August. Septem-
Der. ant TIE latter portion of July, in the
If.iT1Cs 81 COlumb.a are not months in which
We go business To- any extent. AMI we might
almost as well b. closed up Yet YOU take
r. largest amount by taking on that day.
You take
THE LAECETT AMOUNT OF MERCHANDISE
WHICH Il ~ oUE POSSESSION AT ANY
TINE DUE RING THE YEAR.
"rd levy q tax urOu that. while NJ least one
f3ltOi TIE year we are not III POSSES ion Of
more Than ore half II tie anCunt. Taking
that view ct the matter. you ere taxing us
dCUr'" the amount 81 taxation which we
ought e. Tay. lfyOu had. "a the construction
Uf NCUr law. S3iC that we should be taxed
UTCE Tie average GGJgut OF stock which
We cary. tisat would nav, been more es3uita-
hiC- Then We could have found q point and
q Iei.O of ilII-C- whore we could, with JUS
lice 10 lil- community. 20 the Commission
'rS- ard ourselves. have rendered to tine as
SeSs'T~, an inventory OF Tire amount Of stock
on hand liable 20 . iuSt taxation, If merchaI-
disc iS taxable ~ an. iu view OF the position
taken IS lie Two gentlemen VINO precy tel
me. % "a" fact mat u D stock ina is no.
az cur owl Now. Jet me show YOU another
point M III" OPERATION Oi this law. and is cf-
feet. You propose, through your assessors.
ADMINISTER UPON TIE ESTATE
0teNerv merchant In the District OF Column
bla tefo-e he is dead. You require Us - pat
INTO the Possess ION Of the assessors. every ar
ticle Of personal and real property that we
DO sess- For our own protection We put
against that all we owe, 30 as 10 reduce the
amount Of our taxation as much as possible.
Now sir, 10 j. perfectly well known to a bust
EeSS community. that everywhere there are
large number of men, honest, reputable
merchants, VINO meet every obligation
promptly at the time II is due. No bill. no
dT2U. 10 obi CATION of any Kind. ever passes
INC day whom IL Is due Now. YOU find some
81 theSe men who arc Ovt OF their business
heEe, making fair. honest. legitimate living
for themselves and family, but who. when
YOU come 10 administer upon the estate and
settle his debit and credit account. you dut
behind him no capital. He meets mis- ODliga-
ions he supports his family. bat ne has no
Drought INTO the Ofhce, where II i not kept
a. "A private matter. but 10 is public matter.
subject TO the inspection of everybody, and
tile business transaction. the wealth and the
poverty of every man in the cDDrInfluit VINO
- liable To taxation, i open IN the ~pecti1l
OF every man in the community. Now what is
ue result of that? At the business c.nterS
81 the NOTth.-\eT York Pm Iatelphia BgS-
ton. and other places, Immediately the Iner-
cdHtlte agency demands OF its agents in
York
a TRANSCRIPT OF EVERY MANS FINANCIAL
CONDITION.
II - spread there upon the bOorsS Of the
mercantile agents OF New York: where the
merchants OF New ! Ork 20 for their inforIn4-
Ton II regard L. the standing and posi;ioIOf
= merchant residing m Washington. When
Ee makes application at the agency i'm New
1ork 10 Knox what i the standing Of "A =;
b. g Ia Washington. their reyl = Is at.-
e. tat Ia IL
assets ard his debts, that he j. not worth a
dollar Now that mans credit has been IN
lnbi'sChtd during All his business career in
Na>h. u-lun. He has met hIS Obligation
always heretofore. hut when the merchant
IN New York j. met with the statement that
TINS man i not inSOlVcut, but that he has no
capital behind hiIn. and he makes his ap-
I'ardHse gain iu the place of business auI
desires 10 purchase goods upon credit, they
reply 10 him. NO SIT. We can't 10 il. You
are ruled ont by V0ur own statement Won
have 10 capital behind YOU in any Tav: we
cannot trust 10 the tenure OF Your lire. though
We 'HlitFe lt yOu lived YOU would paw; but
= you nave ECtlIDg o. represent capital b.
bind yCU. we shut YOU out al our store anil
OCI trade You see the Injurious effect which
That Ill have mon a % efy large number of
TIE merchants 81 THIS city. and anywhere
where so inqui>itOri a Law j. carried out 10
TIE extent YOU Propose 10 carry IL out in this
schedule. Now. ! DO not Know that the term
incense can &c properly termed q tax
but certainly y YOU propose 10 carry out the
Tax UlOn PERSONAL prDI rty. YOU should az
least give the benefit al annulIng the other
Tax Of four dollars thousand. which YOU
collect from rs a license upon oil meTchal-
else.
Remarks By var. y. q. Judd.
MI JucO--SOule o. ny predecessors have
SPOKEN win regard 10 the legal view OF this
question. a'lu they have been followed bv
my brother SeCrt tary. Mr.. Mitchell, with re
.drG 20 the bushes view OF Il. / represent 4
portion Of The community that probably
comes nearer the professional. ana vet in
some respects = strongly allied 10 the bust
hes part 81 the community. refer 10 the bust
heS> q. "A PRINTER What / want especially -
caIl ire attention Of the Commissioners -
- Wl.@i - said witI regard 10 tool, in See
Ton >iH- section provides that tools. not
held for safe. not over the value OF 500.
snail p" O. VeC. Nov. sir, take IN average
printing Office in this city. Even the small
one nave the honor To and at the head OF.
suppose its material costs IL from SIP Oob
70 -l5,uto lit was put into market to-day to
be>oid-brOken up in convenient pieces Tor
S'her printers To purchase; carefully cata-
ISSqUed, IL would probable bring - 600 Now
tHe question That occurs ~ my mind is this
WHAT l. \ True CASH VALUE
OF iIdt MATERIAL IL il constantly in the
process or deterioration, like the merchants
stock, that = constantly passing into Inc
-