St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-01-16
THE DRUMMERS' TAX.
How the knights OF the Grip Avoid Its
Payment.

Payment.
Yesterday three commercial travel.
ars were before the City Court, and
were fined two hundred dollars each
for not having licenses. A drummer.
whose business 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 a municipal ordinance, and
there are points where both State and
q city license are required.
but we don't always put up said
the travelling man with smiling can
dor. I'VE 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 a month, but we don't;
neither do those who are up to the
tricks pay the fine. There are parties
here who make it regular business
acting as go-betweens. They pay Ii
cense to the District as commits
sion men. When l come in l GO to
one of these parties and say: i want
to sell some carpets He says: All
right; when do you want to 60 round?'
name the hour, and we start out to-
gether, visiting the houses which deal
in carpets. do the trading. just the
same as if the commission man WASH,
by, but all transactions are understood
to be through him. When get through
pay him one per cent. on the gross
sales have made. pack my cases and
skip out without having contributed 8
dollar to the District Treasury.
That is one way," said the travel
ing man; ..but Washington is about
the only place where it works. The
last time / was in Charleston, 5. c.,
before had been in the city an hour, 8
smart chap with touch of the Hebrait
in his dialect. tapped me on the shoul
der and asked if was commercial
man. said didn't think it was any
of his business. He turned back hi:
coat and showed o badge as municipa
detective and said there was a city Ii
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 there to see the city an,
some old acquaintance. He went OF
not well satisfied, as l could see.
knew he was watching me. and | gav'
him "a good tramp. went down t
the front of the city, inspected tn
| Calhoun monument and incidental,
dropped into two or three busines
houses. Toward night my acquaint
ance overhauled me again an,
suggested that it would be wei
for me to take out that license. sal,
! to him: See here, I'm not going t.
drum the city, but there are two o
three places where l can sell bills o
| goods, and then I'm going to get out
+, These people deal with are old Gus
| toners of our factory. There won't b
anything said about my business here
You take this and wen let that licens
drop tucked five-dollar bill in hi
hand; he winked and went of. Save'
| just half on the license there, you see.
Now, 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 trad
there. / go to the hotel and have m.
cases sent to the room. In the cours
of the day I walk around and say
How are you?' to my customers. cha
about the Exposition and go out. Jus
sas | leave the customer says: 'Whel
will you be in at your hotel?' l set tn
| hour, the customer comes round ant
sends up his card The boy is told t
show him up, the key is turned in tn
door and we get down to business.
"Of course concluded the traveller
..it takes discretion to work thes
rackets. In Charleston, two days afte
left, New Yorker undertook to blu
nv detective friend, was hauled up il
court and fined one hundred and tift
dollars, which shows that somethin
besides cheek is requisite to be a sue
cessful commercial man down South.
Washington Cor. Chicago San.