Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-02-22
Nr. FsEr:nei>ter's Armament
.@a.n-t III" PnSye" oT ,hc R"Tri 8" Ej'
Liquor L!crR,-s at Above $3.50 OF
ErIoN SIG0 FER Anmulm.


1t is claimed by SOM q ;he mem
bors of the present Ctv CCuhc.!
that the charter of Oh ymria pae~",!
lv tie Legislative Assembly % 1913
cuniers upon the corporation power
10 fix the tate of license to he pal!
L. drinking saloons, beer shops,
brcweries and other places where III
ioXirlting or other beverages are
snlA OF disposed Of, within the limits
of said city of Olympia, at a higher
rate than lhat prescribed as the
maximum in the general license law
of the Territory.
Said general law fixes the maxi
mum to be charged for such license
at $500 and the minimum at 500
per annnm. leaving it at the discre-
ton of the County Commissioners to
fix the rate to be paid for such H.
cense at any sum not more than
$500 nor less than 500 per annum.
Now. of course, if the corporation of
the city of Olympia has the authority
claimed for it under its charter and
may fix the rate to be paid for this
class of licenses at any sum above
the maximum of $500 prescribed in
said general law, it can fix it at any
sum below the minimum, ut one dol
lar OF one cent per annum. In other
words, if this position is true, there
is no law defining the amount that
may or may not be charged for H.
cense within the city limits and the
whole matter is left to the discretion
of the Town Board which, according
20 the sentiment of the majority OF
its members for the time being, may
either fix the rate SO high as to
amount to absolute prohibition, OF
so low as to practically establish a
free trade in whisky, condition OF
affairs which few would deire to
see. But let us look at the law upon
this subject. The clause of the city
charter relied upon by those who
claim this discretionary power OF
the Council is Section 16, which is
as follows:
Sec. 1G. The city of Olympia
shall have powe- to regulate, license
and tax all carts, drays, trucks, wa
CONS, carriages, coaches, omnibuses
and other vehicles kept for hire OF
for the transportation of persons OF
property for hire and to prescribe
and fix the rates thereof; to license
tax and regulate, or prohibit theatre
cal shows and other exhibitions; to
license, tax and regulate auctioneers,
hawkers, peddlers, brokers and
pawnbrokers; to license, regulate OF
restrain drinking saloons, beer
shops, breweries and other places
where intoxicating or other bever-
ages are sold or disposed Of; to Ii
cense, tax and regulate wash houses
and slaughter houses, and to pre-
scribe and designate places for car
rying on the same; and to license
and tax hotels, restaurants, lodging
houses, livery stables, dry goods
stores, grocers, butcher shops, shoe
stores, dentists, photographers, fruit
stores, tobacco stores, doctors, law
yers, drug stores, banks, real estate
dealers, insurance agents and brok-
ers, feed stores, express companies,
telegraph companies, printing offices,
hardware stores, oyster houses, wood
and coal dealers, lumber dealers, and
all business houses and wholesale
and retail establishments of every
kind and description and to fix the
rate of such license: Proridcd,
That no tax shall be imposed OF IL
cense required from any person for
the sale of any of the actual pro-
ducts Of lis own farm or garden,
nor shall any license be required of
any wheelwrights, carpenters, black
smiths, boot and shoemakers, tailors,
milliners, dressmakers or mechanics
who expose for sale only the goods,
wares or mt rchandise manufactured
within the city limits"
The particular words which it is
claimed, confers this power upon the
corporation, are those which after
enumerating the classes of business
for the carrying Oh of which it may
impose license, gives it the power
to fix the rate OF such license. >
The power herein conferred upon
the corporation i" to regulate license
and tax extends TO almost every va
riety of business that is or may be
carried on within the city limits,
among them several for which the
maximum amount of license to be
paid is prescribed in the general law
already referred to, to.wit: The bus
mess of hawking and peddling, sell.
ing goods and wares at public auc-
ton, and of selling spirituous, NAL,
or fermented liquors and wines in
less quantities than one gallon; and
i'll regard to this last business, as al.
ready observed, the minimum price
at which a license to carry it on may
be granted is also prescribed in said
! general law. The general law re.
ferred to is as follows:
"SEc. 4. Said County Commission
ers, in their respective counties,
shall have the power to grant Ii.
cense to persons to keep drinking
houses or saloons therein, at which
spirituous, malt or fermented liquors
and wines may be sold in less guam.
titles than one gallon, and such Ii.
cense shall he called retail license
upon the payment, by the person
applying for such license, of the sum
OF three hundred dollars year into
the county treasury and the execu.
ton of a good and sufficient bond
executed to such county in the sun
OF one thousand dollars, to be ap.
proved by such County Commits
sioners or the County Auditor of the
county in which such license is
granted, conditioned that he will
Eopn e,1ch Ir;pE;or ,oIoo, 49, 1,o...