St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-04-15
GROCERs SET BACK.
PeddIers' Licenses Increased, but
Less Than Was Expected.

Peddlers beseiged the city hall again
yesterday. The consideration of the
license matter by the joint committee
on licenses and ordinances attracted
them. The committee met in the small
committee room. The peddlers filed
one end of the room and overlooked into
the hall and council chamber And
there was another fight much greater in
intensity than that of last week. The
presence of Aid. Bradish. BarroWs and
Durham. of the committee on Ordi-
nances, had good effect. The license
of peddlers was held down a little
thereby. Previously Aid. Mcclure was
alone in the endeavor to do the peddlers
justice. Flanders. Rand, Parry and
Woodward were all against him.
B. j. Mcintyre appeared again for
the peddler5 and Attorneys Nye and
Meyers for the peddlers. Mcintyre
talked twice as loud and twice as long
as be did before, and his argument was
not a whit less pointleSs. Both Nye
and Meyers took the same ground that
Nye did last week. To increase the
present license for peddlers would be
unjust; it would mean discrimination
it would be, probably, Illegal. since the
law provides that this licensing power
shall not be exercised except for the
purpose of regulating or controlling
certain lines of business. The city has
no right to compel these men to pay
licenses for revenue. At the present
rate, the fees more than pay twice over
for the city's expenditure in the way of
issuing licenses and inspecting them.
The point was also made that these
peddlers, most of whom are Hebrews.
belong to people whose representa-
tives are seldom seen in police courts,
criminal courts or poOrhouSeS. They
work hard and should not he oppressed.
1t was noticeable that the grOcers had
modified their demands. Last week
they wanted licenses raised to 800 for
tWo-horse wagons, $500 for one-hOrse
wagons, 5000 for push carts, 500 for
foot peddlers. Yesterday they were
satisfied that the licenses be kept down
to $3.50 for wagons. 500 for push carts,
$50 for foot peddlers. Mcintyre. speak
ing for the grocerS, tried to make the
pOin. that this $3.50 license fee is neceS-
Sary to eQualiZe the difference between
the taXpaying grocer and the non-taX-
paying peddler. But Bradish had lit
tie list. 1t showed that the grocers of
Minneapolis stop long way from pay
ing $3.50 personal property tax each per
year.
When the arguments were finished
and the Joint committee went into eX-
ecutiVe session the real fight began.
Flanders, the grocer alderman, battled
boldly for the big increase, as voiced in
the license committees former report
Nothing but $50, S10O and $50 would
do. Woodward was with him. Parry
sat on the fence and whitfield. Rand
vaulted back and forth to each side. All
the others, Bradish, Durham. MCGUIRE
and BaTroWs said no. Especially did
they refuse to listen 20 the raising to $50
Of the license of the small boy, or the de-
crepit old man who earns precarious
existence by selling matches from a
basket. For over an hour they argued.
Both sides became wearied. Finally
this schedule was adopted as a comprO-
mise: Wagon peddlers, 1928: push
cart peddlers, SO; foot peddlers. $50:
An ordinance embOdying these changes
has been drawn up and will be present
ed to the council Friday.
There is another point in this ordi-
nance which seems to have escaped the
eye Of the aStute Aid. Rand, or To which
he was purpOSely blind. The ordinance,
an amendment to one passed in 1888,
provides for the substitution of the
words the city council for the board
Of police commissioners. This is q
petty attempt of Republican council
to narrow, wherever possible, the
authority of Democratic mayor. The
police commission had the power TO
grant, in special cases, peddling per-
mitS without the payment of a license
fee. That power belongs ofright to the
mayor now. Aid. Bradish saw the point
and called attention to it. As chairman
of the joint committee he was powerless
to make motion. Rand was quiet, too.