The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-12-23

REDUCED TO THE ABsURD.-The recent en-
forcement of obsolete ordinances is calcu-
lated to excite derision rather than respect
for the law. A lot of old forgotten en-
actments of the city council have been resur-
rected by our jealous police, and citizens igno-
rant of their existence have been jerked up
and fined for violation of ordinances which for
years have been virtually without effect. Not
long ago farmer was fined for selling fodder
which had not been weighed on the city scales,
and in several instances parties have suffered
like penalty for selling hay which-had not been
subjected to the same process of measurement.
Again, persons have been summoned before
the Mayor for whistling on the street after
nine o'clock at night, and have had to undergo
a good deal of vexation and annoyance in con-
sequence thereof. Now we respectfully sub
NIT that the city council should at once repeal
the ordinances which cause SO much trouble
and expense. They are calculated to do much
more harm than good, and the sooner they are
gotten rid of the better it will be for the bust
ness Of the town. The hay scales, it is known,
are not paying investment and were erected,
not with view to speculation, but in order to
accommodate the farmers. 1t is a great accom-
mediation to the farming community to have
access to them, but it should certainly be left
with those who are supposed to be accommo-
dated to say whether or not they shall accept
of the benefit sought to be conferred upon
them 1t would be just as reasonable for the
city to insist upon weighing or measuring
every product Of the farm sold within its linn
its as to select two OR three OF those products
and enforce their ordinances against them Both
seller and purchaser, as a general thing, desire
to have the hay, straw &c., which they handle
weighed, but they should be allowed to weigh
just where it best suits them, if they so elect
to make their trade without weighing at all
Frequently hay is purchased in bulk or by the
stack, and it is not desired to incur the expense
imposed by the city when the result will make
no difference to either of the contracting par
ties. There always has, unfortunately, exist
ed some little feeling between the country and
town and it is certainly to the interest OF the
business men generally that this feeling should
be rooted out entirely. The aggravating an
noyances resulting from the above causes are
calculated to produce no other result than to
excite discomfort and injure business. Even
if the hay scales are slight tax, the city can
better afford to incur the expense than to per-
petuate a manifest injustice Or if in the wis
dom of the council, the city cannot afford to
bear the expense, then the scales should be
sold to some enterprising individual, who
would doubtless be able to afford all the ac-
without forcing them to patronize where it is
not to their interest to do So :.
The ordinance against whistling on the
street after nine o'clock is simply absurd 1t
was enacted about fifty years ago when our
city fathers were much more Puritanical, and
their constituents were unaccustomed to the
noise and hustle incident to our now busy
thoroughfares. Those old fellows used to 90
to bed at shutdown, and it was regarded as
little less than sacrilege to disturb their rest.
Now the rumbling wagon, omnibus and car
rage rattles over the streets at all hours of the
night and no one is disturbed by it or if
disturbed has no remedy, save to remove.out
of town. OF kind with this same ordinance
which has recently revived are number of 9th
stwhich have never been repealed, and could be
enforced with equal propriety. One of them
provides that on and after August 31st 1902,
no person in this borough shall permit his her
or their geese OF ducks'to run at large within
the limits thereof, and it shall be the duty of
the sergeant to seize and sell any goose, gander,
goslin, geese, ducks or brakes SO found" For
prudential reasons we suppose this ordinances
mas not been enforced. It would be fearful
task to arrest all the geese discovered on the
Streets and still more onerous undertaking
to get rid of them by sale. Another of the old
ordinances provided that mo person should
kindle fire out of doors," " and still another or
dained that mo person shall within the limits
of the town smoke cigar grippe In any street
or alley in which there is any stable or other
yard where hay, straw or shavings are found.n
1t was General Grant who said "the hest
way to get rid of a bad law is to enforce it y
Our police have enforced some of these obso-
lete enactments, and the council should see
to it that they are repealed.