River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-01-28


far as they apply to this firm and ac.
knowledging no responsibility or obli-
CATION to the appointing power. This
is a very transparent scheme by
which the Common Council has at
tempted to "let itself down easy"
rather than interfere with the private
business affairs of firm abundantly
able to insist upon its right to run its
own business in its own way.
The practical effect of this conces-
sion by the Common Council is not on.
ly class legislation in favor of those
who sell wood to this firm, and against
those who sell to others, which while
of small moment in this instance, per-
haps. involves the principle of crowd
ing out all other buyers in favor of
one to sell to whom no tax is levied
against the seller, but an admission
that neither this firm or those who
sell it wood, require the protection"
sought to be given by the ordinance.
If one firm be permitted TO buy
wood without the aid of an officer who
is responsible TO the appointing power
or the imposition of tax upon the
seller, why not another! If any firm
may do this, why not any individual
who can measure the wood himself
and agree with the seller as to the
quantity! "Why should one firm and
its patrons be especially favored in
this matter by the Common COuncilP
is question that is being daily asked.
We yield to none in our devotion to
the principle Of honest measure, be.
lieving that the buyer should pay for
all the wood he gets and that the sell
Ter should deliver all that he receives
pay for, but we do not believe that be-
cause an occasional dishonest wood
seller takes advantage of the neglect
of shrewd business man or cheats an
ignorant purchaser out of few feet
of wood all the honest farmers who
haul their wood here should be com
PEELED to pay the tax imposed by this
ordinance.
Suppose that the farmers should
want an Inspector appointed to weigh
every pound of groceries and measure
every yard of cloth purchased of our
merchants and the Inspector certili.
cate-paid for by the merchant
honest weight and measurement pro-
duced as a preliminary to receiving
pay for the goods. They would be
charged with setting our merchants
down as pretty tough lot of citizens,
and create a breeze in comparison
with which this wood ordinance stir
is but gentle zephyr, yet they would
in 50 doing apply only the same rule,
principle and imputation which the
city now applies to them.
The assertion that most Of the oppo-
sition to this ordinance comes from
middle-men is merely a matter of
opinion, and others whose means of
obtaining information upon this point
are fully equal to those of our Mayor
do not concur in his opinion.
The proposition Of our correspond
ent that the price of wood be raised in
certain contingency may be a time.
ly one, but he will doubtless content
himself with paying the market rates.
He also questions the fairness of
our assertion that about one hundred
names appeared upon the petition and
more coming and asks. "Why not
give the exact number?' insinuating
that it might have been little over
fifty. The exact number of names
upon the petition at the time the arti-
Gle was written was ninety-six, and we
submit that our expression ''about one
hundred names is fully as ineligible
as the one "about sixty feet" used in
his letter above. The "exact num-
Der" above given has been somewhat
increased as will be seen in another
column.
In regard to the comparison made
by our correspondent of the number
of signers with the number of inhabi-
tants it seems sufficient for us to say
that the petition reads ''voters and
taxpayer" instead of inhabitants. .
The talk of having to sign petition
to get rid of being bored to death is
not very profound logic and hardly
merits attention, but we will hazard
the opinion that most men who do not
''straddle' every question that is pre-
sented to their notice can manage to
preserve their lives even if they
should firmly refuse to sign for the
reason that they were not in sympa-
thy with the prayer of the petition.
We believe in the right of the peO-
pie to petition, and that they have a
right to expect respectful considera-
ton of such petition, but if the Com
mon Council shall in its wisdom de-
cline to grant the petition in question,
the people must submit to the decis-
ion Of the powers that be, but they
can do so with Il consciousness of at
least having made an effort to secure
the correction of what they regard as
a serious mistake.
Sunday School Institute.
A Sunday School Institute for Hud-
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