Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-11
THE PROPOSED TAX REFORM.
What Citizens Have to Say About the
License Bill.

License Bill.
y prominent dry goods dealer said to O STAR re-
porter to-day: There is one feature OF the pro
posed bill which would operate very unjustly. After
specifying different sorts Of business be licensed
It goes on TO say that dealers In merchandise not
otherwise provided for shall pay annually SO. and
IN addition thereto - each thousand dollars OF
capital invested Now, what is capital invested?
Suppose / own house worth $4,000 and borrow
$1,000 on it and with that $4,000 get $4,000 worth
OF stock. what is my capital invested? would
have TO pay the tax on the real estate just the
same. Now / carry $4,000 stock. and If the amount
OF stock represents the capital invested will have
to pay $50 year. more than any liquor dealer or
merchants IN the city who carry $4,000, s75, 600,
10000 and even s150.O0O in stock. Lansburg has
at least $4,000. He would have topay $50 year.
There are few merchants in other lines OF trade
who carry anything like such large amounts of
stock as the dry goods men. The uncertain guam
tity IL is what constitutes capital invested Ii the
laW read That the tax should be s. On
every thousand up to s25,C0o and all above
that amount should go free, think that would be
Reasonable. Certainly S125 year is enough for a
merchant who is carrying on clean and orderly
business to pay. especially when the rent and the
clerk hire 10 be paid and the fact that there IS
very small margin of profit. are considered. Be-
SIDE all these merchants are obliged to pay private
wdtchmen. as the police cannot furnish the pro-
lection they need. 1 do not believe Mr.. West
thought OF this aspect OF the proposed law
MIR. JOHN c. PARKER,
bookseller and stat.oner says the license system is
the BEST it is preferable to the odous personal
tax. Then II we impose a license tax on dealers
coming mere Ii Will help our local trade.
Mr.. JAMES BELLEw,
undertaken. says that while he has not read the
bin he admireS the license plan That is preferable
to the personal tax, and he had always felt salts
faction when paying the license that he Cid not feel
When pay Ing Il personal TAX.
Mr.. A. h. WILLIAMS,
bookseller, says that he does not know out that to
tax personal property, well real, is done In
Illinois. is the best mode Of raising revenue IT is diff
fcuit here. however. to get at the bonds held and
IL We tax such property there are many who would
OF lerN i,e to The city who will remain away,
and for that reason It is probably best not to tax
th.ln- Taxes are more easily collected from real
estate and by license.
MAX LUCHs,
tObaccGnst, says he believes In license tax in
preference TO any personal tax. There should how
ever, be some consideration for the poorer classes
Ia the bill-th0se who stand out with wagon Gay
IN and day out. making, often, scarcely enough Tor
horse feed. should not be taxed high-but only
enough 10 enable them to feel that they have part
III the government.
Mr.. JOHN T. MITCHELL
dry goods dealer. said he considered license sys-
tern far preferable to the personal tax, although
OF applying to dealers In merchandise not otherwise
specified In the bill, which would make the tax on
merchants carrying large stock out OF all proper
ton To that imposed on other business men.
M LAWRENCE GARDNER,
secretary OF the Washington Endowment associa-
ti0n. says that the proposed license law, regards
the endowment association meals confiscaton for
the tax OF Z per cent Is imposed upon their re-
ce,p'S Ii. during the year. the collections amount
10 $4,000 and $4,000 is paid out for deaths. the tax
goe, Oh the receipts and not on The difference be-
tween receipts and disbursements, Is the In
some Gf the states. Ii should be remembered, he
said. that the association acts simply trustee.
Mr.. K. c. HEWITT,
feed dealer, said that he Was not opposed to the
principle OF license. but opposed to the bill for
1t bears too heavily upon the poor man The
wealthy should pay their proportion OF the taxes.
and IL any discrimination Is made IL should be in
iyJr OF the poor. lie would tax Incomes OF 5000
per year and over and let the poor man 60. 1t Is
wrong To tax u poor man with u horse and cart 10y
which he eheS out IN existence. There several
provisions la which the bill should be amended.
The druggist is not required TO have liquor
license. but he may SELL on physicians preScr1p-
ton, half pint OF liquor and the prescription viii
cost g, and this he do at any time between II
O'Clock Saturday night and clock Monday morn
ing The other places. which pay high license
cannot sell during these hours. The druggist
should be licensed 10 sell liquor if he sells it.
MORE REVENUE To BE GAINED By 1T.
Detective Raft. Who had special charge OF the ten
says that the proposed new law, section 3d. if car
ried Into effect. viii produce more revenue to the
District than all the special taxes The amount OF
license taxes from commercial agents last year was
about S1s.eOo: under the new law il ought To bt
nearly @2D.ODo This il from the fact that in lieu
a 'itI.iS 1tS 20 this city for the negotiation OF
safes vi goods the owners. in order to save the eX
penSe OF paying he 800 license for the agent would
come here themselves. which. under tie present
law. they have right To do 10y simply getting 4
permit from the Commissioners TO Canvass the bis
ri
thousand permits granted during the past year To
owners. or partners OF business houses in other
cities 10 come here and sell goods. Another good
thing, he says Is the change In the law for whole
SAFE dealerS in liquor. which Will have the effect
cleaning out all these dealers who sell beer by the
pint as wholesale dealers. 1t Will also prevent
abuse by Uggi5tS, Who, in nany instances, retail
liquors.
OPINIONS OF WEST WASHINGTON BUSINESS MEN.
Mr.. f. l. Moore, dealer i'll agricultural imp,e-
ments. &c. said: Il am most decidedly In favor of
the license bill because II does away with the
personal tax which have always regarded as mi
qutOus.
Mr.. ". +. Gibbons. dry goods also expressed him
Self as strongly III favor 0I the new bill.
Mr.. John iarDury. hardware dealer, said 81 am
opposed 10 the personal tax and always have been
II keeps capital from the district. and in this way
alone Is an injury 2m infavor of the new bill
Mr.. tilaS A. Buckev OF the firm OF Buckey &
Na:bTry. hardware dealers. said: Il favor gener-
ally tIe new bill. it aboisheS the personal tax
but there are 1nperlecions in it, think the com
pay llteuSt VI DIT ltdSi
$500
Mr.. Thomas Knowles. grocer-s'I favor the new
Dill because II abOiishcs the personal tax
Nj George I. Dunlop. dealer in agricultural I'm
PIGMENTS, sulnO. &c: II am IN favor OF the new
bin The personal tax ought to have been abolished
long ago"
Mr. J. G. Waters commission merchant: .The
Dill Is. think. generally acceptable, and taken as
Wnote. should favor 1t. as il does away with the
personal tax: but there Is very grave objection
10 il, as FIR as the commission Merchants are con
ccrHtd. VT. c0nIl!is their operations to their
place OF business This amounts to almost a pro-
iioitioa against doing any business People gener-
ally do moi SEEK Us We have TO seek them This
clause OF the Dill should be stricken out"
hT. Vi. j. Adler. hardware dealer: 1.-The new bill
j Il good thing and right The personal tax ought,
by All means 10 be abolished"
Meesr5- Brown a. Lewis. cry goods dealers: s.We
favor The new BIZ. The personal tax should be done
away with"
VI. John II. SInoot dry goods II am decidedly in
favor of aoo!isling the personal tax. Ii is q
nls:c" and unjust II Is carried Out; but there
are sD,e features in the bin which are oblec-
tiplIaU-c. but this Is 10 be expected, as there is
hO,ning perfect
5.esor5. craig u Jackson, dry goods dealers: ssWe
1aFor the Ole strongly, 1t a5ooheS the personal
tax
AiE. Joseph F. Birch. underta her. and Dr. Charles
I'echel. druggist, also expressed themselves IL
faNUr-nS the Dill
Mr- b. K Goddard, grocer: ~ 90 not favor the
bill, and think u personal tax is all right"
District Government Affairs.
COMPLIMENT FROM ENGLAND.
Mr. f. Booker, sanitary superintendent OF the
city OF Coventry. England. writes to Dr. Smith
anu encUoS The ioiiOWiug clipping from the Aeri-
can CORE apOndcncc OF one OF the English Journals:
'.MapS Show the quarters where disease prevails
what kiad Of disease and the proportion OF deaths
" 1 10 IL. H..