Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-18
TIE .pRummERs, TAX FIXED.

The Amended Ordinance Passed by
Council, and the Tax Fixed at $40
Week-An Attempt to Shut Out "New
Time" PetitIon-A Protest Against the
Proposed Change Tabled by the Mayor
Fixing the Liquor Licenses.
The ssDrummers' Tax question was
disposed Of by the City Council last night
in the passage Of the amended ordinance
reported Dy the Finance Committee on
wednesday night, fixing the license at
| so per week.
The matter was made a special order
/ for last night. 1t was pretty generaiIy
/ understood that the ordinance would be
passed as amended by the committee, and
| Very little interest was manifested, only
| one or two visitors being present in the
| Long Room.
the Council remained in caucus until
after 9 O'Clock, when the doors Of the May
or's room were thrown open and the reg
ular session was called.
The amended ordinance was read and
Immediately put upon its passage and be-
came a law.
This matter being disposed of the ordi-
nance introduced by Alderman Derst on
Wednesday night, fixing the tax of liquor
dealers. was taken up and passed to
second reading. Before being put upon
| its passage Alderman O'Connor moved as
an amendment a substitute fixing the tax
upon all wholesale or wholesale and re-
tail dealers ut $500, and upon all
retail dealers north of Anderson street,
west of the Bilbo Canal and east Of Mus
grove Creek. 1925, and for all retail deal
ers outside of these defined limits and
within the jurisdictiOnal limits OF the
city, $50. The yeas and nays were called
upon the amendment. The vote was tie,
! ~ n
favor Of its adoption. The original ordl-
nance was passed by the same vote.
The Clerk announced petition, signed
by the leading merchants of the city, pro-
testing against the change from the new
to old time. voted by the Council on
Wednesday night.
Alderman Hanley believed the reading
Of the petition out of order, as the meeting
was called for the consideration OF the tax
/ question. The Mayor overruled the point
/ Of order, and the petition was read, as ioi-
/ lows:
We the undersigned. merchants and cifi-
| gems OF SdgInRdh being fully satlsned win the
I workings Of the new standard time, ana be-
/ liering that the proposed change PACK 70 lhe
! old time Is not desired by the majority OF our
! citizens and would work great confusion, IN
l that the railroads. erpress Opfce. post once ana
/ hotels would still run on standard ttne, there-
| by making two different standards OF time IN
I our city, do respectfully protest against the
! change ordered for next saturday. and beg
/ that the present standard time be continued
/ in operation.
We further submit that the action of your
/ honorable body in making this change without
/ giving the community atlarge an opportunity
/ 10 express their views upon il was somew mat
/ hastv. and in case your board will not at once
/ determine to retain the present time perma-
nently. we respectfully request that II VIII az
! least postpone the change for a week ana
until the views OF the publlc at large can DC
I fully aSceTtained.
The petition was signed by about hun
/ bred leading firms of the city, and at the
bottom of the list of signatures was a note
stating that ii was not placed in circu-
/ latiOn until after > o'clock last night, but
il would be presented again to-day, and
| the list already secured would be supple
mented by much larger one than THAT
/ submitted to the Council.
Alderman Wells was opposed to any
/ consideration of the memorial whatever.
/ The merchants, he claimed, were not in
/ convenienced by the adoption of the new
I time. and did not suffer any of the losses
I of manufacturers and men employing
/ large numbers of hands. Those most
| seriously affected were the manufac-
/ turers and large employers, and their petit
| tiOns should be considered in preference
/ to those of the merchants.
The discussion Of the memorial was cut
| short by calling vote upon the motion to
/ receive as information. The motion pre-
vailed. and Alderman Hamlet voted to
/ table the matter indefinitely. The yeas
and nays were called upon the motion as
/ follows:
Yeas-Aldermen O'COnnor. Hanley, Ham,
I nton. Hamlet. Wells. Derst-6.
Nays-Aldermen Thomas, Nell, Wilder,
| Green, Minis, Methodist.
The vote being q tie, the Mayor call
ed on to cast the deciding vote, stated
that he believed in old time, and cast the
vote in favor of adoption, thus disposing
of the matter for the present.
Several petitions and applications and
matters of minor Importance were acted
/ upon, after which the Council adjourned.