The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-01-07
THE DRUMMERS' TAX,
How the Knights OF the Grip Avoid Its
Payment.

:
Payment.
Yesterday three commercial travel.
ers were before the City Court, and
were fined two hundred dollars each
for not having licenses. A drummer,
whose busiI oss takes him into all parts
of the South, says there isn't city or
town from Washington to Matamoras
where he doesn't find tax laid on SELL
ing by samples. At some points it is a
State law which confronts the bagman;
at others municipal ordinance, and
there are points where both State and
city license are required. Is
"But we don't always put up said
the travelling man with smiling can
dor. ''We look upon this tax upon
trading as an imposition, and when
ever we can dodge it we ought to do so
without any wear of conscience. Here
in Washington we are supposed to pay
one hundred dollars for license which
is good for month, but we don't;
neither do those who are up to the
tricks pay the fine. There are parties
here who make it a regular business
acting as go-betweens. They pay Ii
cense to the District as commits
sion men. When 1 come in I go to
one of these parties and say: 4 want
to sell some carpets. He says: All
right; when do you want to go roundp
l name the hour, and we start out to-
gether, visiting the houses which deal
in carpets. l do the trading, just the
same as if the commission man WASH t
by, but all transactions are understood
to be through him. When get through
l pay him one per cent. on the gross
sales / have made, pack my cases and
skip out without having contributed a
dollar to the District Treasury
THAT is one way,l said the travel.
ing man; but Washington is about
the only place where it works. The
last time | was in Charleston, s. c.,
before had been in the city an hour, a
smart chap with touch of the Hebraic
in his dialect, tapped me ON the shoul-
der and asked if Twas commercial
man. l said I didn't think it was any
of his business. He turned back his
coat and showed a badge as municipal
detective and said there was city IL
cense of ten dollars to pay for soliciting
trade. | told him didn't know that /
was going to do any business in Charles
ton; was here to see the city and
some old acquaintances. He went off
not well satisfied, as I could see. /
knew he vas watching me and gave
him GOOD tramp, went down to
the FROM of the city, inspected the
Calhoun monument and incidentally
dropped into two or three business
houses. Toward night nay acquaint-
ance overhauled me again and
suggested that it would be well
for me to take out that license I said
to him: See here, I'm not going to
drum the city, but there are two Oh
three places where / can sell bills OF
goods, and then I'm going to get out.
These people / deal with are old Gus.
toners Of our factory. There won't be
anything said about nay business here.
You take this and we'll let that license
drop / tucked five-dollar bill in his
hand; he winked and went off Saved
just half on the license there, you see. .
SNOW, in New Orleans" he con.
tinued, we've still another scheme,
and it's good to save fifty dollars
which is the tax on soliciting trade
there. I 60 to the hotel and have my
cases sent to the room. In the course
of the day | walk around and say
How are you?' to my customers, chat
about the Exposition and go out. Just
as leave the customer says: When
will you be in at your hotel?' / set the
hour, the customer comes round an6
sends up his card. The boy is told te
show him up, the key is turned in tht
door and we get down to business"
"Of course concluded the traveller
sit takes discretion to work these
rackets. In Charleston, two days aftel
I left, New Yorker undertook to bluf
my detective friend, was hauled up il
court and fined one hundred and fift,
dollars, which shows that something
besides cheek is requisite to be sue
cessful commercial man down South.
Washington Cor. Chicago Sun.