The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-07-25
PEppLER,s LICENSES.

The Boston Journal OF Wednesday has
an editorial based upon new law in
Maine, the principles of which are Of
universal interest. 1t says;
The law which has just gone into
effect in Maine requiring peddlers to
take out licenses, and limiting the prIvi.
lege Of peddling to American citizens Of
good moral character, has caused con.
siderable excitement among the large
class of persons effected, and both its
justice and its constitutionaIity are holly
assaulted. 1t is natural that the first at
tempt to place restraint upon transac-
tions which have long been unrestrained
should occasion agitation, but it does
not follow that the restraint is uuneces-
sary or unjust. Two purposes, prob
ably, were in view in the enactment of
the law (; one the protection of local
tradesmen,. who,as taxpayers and rent
payers, are entitled 10 some considera-
ton as against the irresponsible nomads
of trade; and the other the protection
of citizens, and especially Of women,
from peddlars who are menacing or in
sulting, or possibly are thieves who
adopt this plan for acquainting them,
selves with the interior of houses which
they intend to rob. Both of these pur
p, SIS, which we suppose to have been
in view in the enactment of the law,
are commendable. In carrying them
out there may be some instances oil
hardship, but If the law is carefully
drawn there will be few. .....f J
To begin with, the law exempts com
mcrcial travellers selling goods by sample
| IN dino laro nN,lu and
the payment Of license fees sick or dis
abled soldiers or sailors. 1t also allows
a person to sell without license "frui
gown in the United States, fruit trees
provisions, live animals. brooms, sgri
cultural implements, fuel, newspapers
books, pamphlets, agricultural products
the products of his own labor or the
labor of his family, any patent of hi
own invention, or in which he has be-
come interested" These are broad ex
emptions. 1t will probably surprise
most people in Maine, and not few il
this State, to be told that in most of it
essential provisions, in its exemptions
as well as in its requirements, this Law
is close copy Of one which has Ions
been on our own statute books. Unde
our law, any one is allowed to peddlI
without a license, fruits, provisions
live animals, brooms, agricultural i'm
plements. hand tools, and in making
boots and shoes, fuel, newspapers books
pamphlets, agricultural products of thu
United States, and the products of hi
own labor or Of the labor of his family.
Public Statutes, chapter 6S.) To en-
title person to peddle any other good
than those Just enumerated our law re.
quires that he shall file with the Score
tary of State. certificate signed by th,
Mayor of a city, or a majority of tn,
Selectmen of town, stating that Il
their best knowledge and belief the per.
sor nt med is Of good repute for mUral
and integrity, and that be Is, or has de
clared his intention to become a either
Of the United States. This certificat,
having been filed, the Secretary of Sat,
may issue license to the ar plicant. th,
towns or cities which the ,applicun
selects for the tIgTt; ct;Cn fbusiness
being named therein. The applican
must pay one dollar to the Secretary foI
each town or city named. He mus. ais,
pay to the Treasurers OF these WINS Oh
cities certain specified fees, ranging
from three dollars for towns of n /
more than thousand inhabi ants t.
twenty live dollars for large cities. Res
dents and voters i'm towns or cites III,
xmpt from these local payments I,
their town or city treasurer. SpecIa
S ate and county licenses are provided
tor, and provision is made for The Ids u,
( licences without fees to disabled FOL
Tiers aud sailors. Every license I'd ltd
ller is required to exhibit his lcens,
wherever demanded by police Cfficera
cons'ables, justices of the peace aDC
other 10, q authorities, and to have hi
name ana the number of his license con
spicuou1Iy posted upon his vehicle o.
parcels. A penalty of not more thai
5000 for each offence is imposed for un
licensed peddling.
These provisions of the Massachusetts
law, or many of them, have been incor
porated in the new law in Maine. Fo
some reason not altogether clear, GU
law has fallen into comparative disuse
and prosecutions under it are infrt
quent. A more vigorous enforcement
of it would rid the suburbs and the rurs
districts of good many migratory an
more or less dangerous characters.
succession OF petty thefts in one of til
best residence sections of a neighboIin
city few weeks ago was preceded by
visitation from particularly obtrusiN
and offensive peddler, who pressed b
wares upon unprotected women in Il
houses with persistence which W,
almost menacing, There may hay
been no connection between the tu
incidents. but the general susplcio
= naturally associates them. A little vi
llance by the police in requiring the e
!" hihilioD of the peddler's license. whiC
the law demands, might save a goo
deal of annoyance and some crime.