The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-02
The Taxation of Commercial Travellers by the
Authorities of the Cities of Savannah,
Charleston and Washington.
How the Tax Is Evaded Through Conni-
vance with District officials.
Treasurer Jordan Takes Up His Residence in
His Office-The Agricultural Experts
and Bit of Strange Wood.
TAXING COMMERCE..
The Tax on Drummers, and How 1t Is Evaded
in the District.

The Tax on Drummers, and How 1t Is Evaded
in the District.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Sept There are just three
cities in the country where the Constitution is
ignored and tax placed upon interstate COM
merce. These cities are Savannah, Ga, Charles
ton, S. c., and Washington, d. c. 1t is hardly
likely that the two former cities, which are
making rapid strides in the line of enterprise
and progress, will long continue the baneful and
suicidal practice of taxing the drummer who en-
ters their gates What will be done in Wash
ington is for Congress to decide, and nasmuch
as every commercial city in the United States is
directly interested in this matter to the extent
of several Thousand ds of dollars, few figures
will not be without interest The annual report
of the collector of taxes shows that something
like $25, 900 is collected from taxes on CONNER
cial travellers visiting Washington, each year
This amount, however, does not begin to repre-
sent the sum that is paid out by the statesmen or
the houses which they represent More money
by hundred-fold is paid into the hands of a
ring than goes into the district treasury. On
market space-which is section of Pennsyl-
vania avenue facing the principal market-are a
Smith, Brown, Jones, ct al. are commercial
brokers'"
"Did you ever 60 into Smiths Offices" said a
disgruntled drummer to me to-day.
On receiving negative reply he suggested a
visit to of the principal brokerage Offices
The Offices occupied whole foor and were
divided off into five or six rooms. Each room
was absolutely devoid OF furniture, except that
they were filed with improvised pine tables
upon which samples of neckwear, hosiery, boots
and shoes, groceries, cigars and dozen other
commodities were spread.
Where is Smith2" / asked
"Oh he's down on his farm in Virginia. He
never shows up here during the summer. It is
not necessary that he should"
when and how does he do business?"
"Why once year he sends check to the
| district collector for 5000. He, perhaps, pays
81 600 year for the rent of these Offices and his
help may cost him as much more. That's how
he Ices business. Does he drum tradeP Not
| much! He leaves that to us fellows, and that's
where his money comes in. / suppose
that Smith is the alleged Washington
agent for at least four hundred outside firms.
Each firm pays him from $50 a year up to $780,
according to the amount of trade done. In re-
| turn, we use Smiths license and Smiths sample
rooms. In return for his investment of Ave OF
six thousand dollars a year, he clears double
that amount. The outside houses save from $50
to $3.50 by the operation, and the district GETS
nothing This is how the infamous tax on out
side trade works in the Nations capital The
local government derives comparatively no rev
IL
tected, simply because there is no local whole
sale trade, and the money stolen from the
pockets of outside houses is simply captured
and stored away by the commercial
brokers. But stop! There are other bene-
iciaries whom I had well-nigh forgotten.
1t is an open secret among all knights of the
road that the Washington detective is open to
an argument. l will not say that all the
reorganzed force are bribe takers, but will
say that there are three. whose names l know,
that are like Pooh-Bah in the 'Mikado' They
will be as blind as bat--for consideration.
These men hang around the drummers, and those
who are comparatively green keep the harpies
supplied with all their underclothing, neck wear,
collars, cuffs, ties and everything else, nearly,
but shields an black jacks"
Anotner, representing New York dry goods
frm-a bright intelligent man-said tine
short sighted policy of the Washington business
men is difficult to understand. If they want to
protect their trade, they should secure congress
sional aid to bar out the Baltimore 'manufactur-
ers.' Any man who makes affidavit that he is
manufacturer may drum as much as he pleases
here. In consequence, the retail trade in cloth
ing, Shirts shoes. and all such articles, is half
monopolized by Baltimore. If drummers were
allowed to come in without tax, every one would
be gamer except the broker. / understand" !"
he continued, that the New York trade organi-
cations will take hold of this matter this winter
We had an excellent advocate in Congress last
session, in the person of the Hon. Charles r.
Simmer, of Watertown, N. Y. He will not be
in Congress next session. but understand that
he will be succeeded in this direction by gem
tleman from the same State, who will win the
praise of every business man in the country if
he succeeds in abolishing the odious and uncon
stitutional tax of 5000 year on commercial
travellers"
who is the manP'
'The Hon. Stephen G. Miard, of Bingh am
ton, will, understand, devote his time to this
end ~