The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-24
THE CITY COUNCIL.
u,fayorable Report on the Lii
cense Ordinance.


de INDECENT sfsk-A Kisk from
Yirh street.
ccunctlugn Dsris IL the chairman Of
~. committee On licenses and revenues.
"a IN that capacity. be presented . little
-s..sxe 10 the council at It's session last
.s~ht. that was, TO say the least, ths object
- nors than passing attention. To his
.azu;ttee had been referred the petition
u the board OF trade asking that . certain
ordinaree designed 20 more efectuaiiy reg
.l.te saetloneers, bAwkers. peddlers. yen-
sers. etc, be adopted, and the source OF
tbe pIea In behalf Of Its passage caused the
eof,mirtee 70 weigh the merits and de
-sfts of the proposed statute with an
..rxI esrn.s,ness The deliberations OF
-. committee and the ability Of It's
-bsirmsn resulted In the following report
To the Honorable Mayer aud Common
coupciI OF the City Of Seattle: GENTLEMEN.
ysur committee on license and revense 10
whom WIS referred q petition from the Sc
attic Board Of Trade praying the council
70 adept aud ordain . new license orsf-
nance for the regulation OF anctioneers
and reddlers. 9 copy Of which proposed
ordinance was submitted along with said
petition, beg 70 report that we have care
fuIly considered said petition. AZ was
vroper In view Of the fact that IL emarated
from the principal trade organization OF
he city. On reading the proposed ordl-
nance it is evident that the person who
drafted the same was ignorant OF the fact
that on september a. 1853, the council
,ssssd an amended license ordinance.
making many import ant changes in the
law. That this Is true 10 apparent from the
reproduction Of several OF the objection
abe features Of the old ordnance, ali Of
which are now repealed By ordinance 9as.
features, aiso bad, In the opinion OF ysur
committee.
The Leading idea In the ordinance under
consideration would appear 70 be not the
regulation OF auetIoneers and peddlers a.
autbonzed by the latter part of section Is
OF the charter, but the virtual prohibition
OF the same. which we think was never
contemplated by the legislature as one OF
The powers OF the city.
Section Of the ordinance provides that
the license for nuctioneers shall be fi20p
per aanum. aud that no license shall be
issned for less period than one year.
We think this Is exorbifant and an I'M
u
itself and not necesEarify offensive and OBJ
noxious TO public morals and good order
II it be urged that frauds and swindlers oc.
casionally ply their vacations under the
protection OF an auctioneer's license, the
same reasoning might be applied 10 any
other business with the same force There
must certainly be q more equitable way 10
protect the public than the infection OF a
tl200 license ON those euctioneers who fol-
low an honest and legitimate occupation,
In order that we may reach some objection
able ones. But II there is any doubt as
10 the equities OF section 1, there can
be no difference OF opinion regarding the
provisions OF section 2 In this section IL
Is provided that hereafter IL shall be IN
lawful for any anetione.r 70 offer, cry or
attempt TO sell any goods al auction within
Do fee from the inside edge OF any side.
walk located on any OF the streets Of the
city Of Seattle" In order 10 ordain this
part OF section 2. which iuvades the house
or the premises of 6 citizen OF this free
country, engaged in lawful industry, aud
tells him that he must not come within 70
feet Of the front window, through which
the Light Of heaven shines, we must first
repeal the constitution of the United
states
Section 3 provides that II shall be unlaw.
fni to keep or expose and offer for sale any
goods, etc, upon the streets or sidcwa ks
Of the city. While yosr committee eoneufs
with the board Of trade that the time has
come for better regulation Of our
streets in the matter OF peddicrs and
street-fakirs, we hesitate 10 recommend
the heroic legislation of this section. Our
police ordinances are ample for the pnr.
pose OF street regulation. aud certain iati
tude ia their enforcement viii always be
desirable. For instance. there are 10 day
several persons. male and female. INDECENT
through infirnify or misfortune, who earn
scauty living BY being allowed 10 peddie
small articles la the streets. who might
olhstwise y converted into psapers and
become a charge on the community la
the third clause of section the rate
proposed tor peddleFs OF hooks. sfatuary
pictsrcs. maps or publications Ia tixed 81
tiW Tor three months, and no license for q
shorter period allowed. while In section
vendors OF newspapers aud magaZines
are specially exempted from any license
fee whatever. Your committee fails TO see
why q book or publication. say By Har
peFs. OF New York. should come undel
the head of 500 license and Hdrperl
HagastHe aud HaTptr's Weekly published
by the same house be allowed 20 be solo
without any license at all. Again, ped
dler OF farm or dairy produce gu enc aid.
OF the street may sell his Goods st che rat,
81 81 80 month, while his unhepp,
brother IL M ade TO pay $50 81 month be
cause he sells books, etc, on the other aid,
OF the street. Il mental food ten times les,
desirable than food for the body Or IL q
intended 10 incidentally abolish the dread
ed book agent while protecting the iegiti
mate book trade OF the eltys
While your committee grant that i'm
proyemcut In license matters Is possible
and that the regular aus resident business
men OF the city ought u have protection
nom iunernnt aud irresponsible tramps In
the shape OF pcddiers aud auctioueers. No
cannot think that the proposed ordinance
u any improvement ON ordinance 995. and
therefore we recommend the rejection OF
the petition, d. n DtRfE.
+. T. JONES.
Committee.
Dated November %. ISIS.
Judge II. 6. s,ruye appeared before the
council in behalf OF the board OF trade. He
requested that. inasmneh as be had not
had time 10 examine the ordinance In full,
IL lie over for week He did not think
tina, the interests OF the city or auciloneers
would be jeopsrdiEra by the delay. lie
himself believed certain parts Of the pro
posed law unconstitutional. aud one
weeks deliherattou would enable all par,
ties 10 consider the matter rs its neeesst.
ties and merits required
James Hamilton Lewis appeared for the
snetionecrS aud others affected by the or.
dinsDce and urged i'm mediate action.
The matter was laid ever TIL the next
regular meeting.
THE WHARF LEASH
The following communication was read;
sKarTIE. Nov. %, 1883.
To the mayor and CON mon council OF the
city OF sezttle--g3RRrLEsExs AT meeting
Of the beard OF trade held yesterday cxea-
lug, The following resolution was carried
unanimously. That tho board OF trade
endorse the city couaeil Ia leasing he
tesier wharf The secretary was in-
Mscsed 70 communicate this action OF
the board Of trade. am yours truly.
K. H. KITTfNGER
Councilman Busns stated In regard 20
The proposition TO lease the wharf. that
the committee on hartinrs and wharyes 70
which the matter had been reierrod. was
willing % close the lease; but since The
ntne within which the proposition of Mr..
nesler might be accepted had expired on
saf- Isl be wAa;et - ind ont whether or
net Mr. iesser Offer vel held good. The
Committee had hesa waiting ON the board
OF trade, hni ppN that il knew what the
haa,d wsated, tie committee would be
sssiy 10 act.
FHr FfFTn srBKEy GRADS,
a Communication was read from H.
.oaes :! A, AOphec. rcg reseuting the e.
sase ~ 4. II. Ceiiesa. II. l. Nesler. Manga
~ relhf sn, II. RAdden. EiiVn Rrauncn
loan 1 Anderson, Ben hurphy. Frank
pessn, kG l. Terry, claiming that the cen
uaes tot grading siifa street. has not been
cohasoted ID accordance Riih the eFii f.
hsHees @; the city. nor in such manner as
- iHprote the sigeei or the property shai
ahg thereon, bat On the contrary had bcea
rtinFmeu 10 sueA q manner - 10 leave
~ stteet m werSe condition than il was
eeiese grading aud creaie an sgupaSslhle
49, ecu9n Snd nuisance In Terrace street
- - ints rsccti0n NAA F3fta. aud 10 cause
stesl aSmase 20 asutgirg pruperty The
"a .S'ia i made that the street a. that poia;