San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-21
SHORT STOPS.
What the People are Saying.

! What the People are Saying
The entire suspension of travel and
consequent cessation and injury to
business on streets where block pave
ment is being put down, causes bitter
complaint.
The city authorities seem helpless
or inefficient in the management of
the contract business. 1t is simply
outrageous that entire blocks of bust
| ness houses are cut off from all oppOr-
tuntty to carry on trade for weeks
and weeks together. There should
| eXpeditiously as it is done in other
cities.
Our absent,',,mayOr has been heard
from at New York, evident ly on the
eve of embarking for France. Mayor
Schreiner has the full weight of the
possibility of the office on his
shoulders; he is not in the place to
carry out instructions, but to conduct
affairs as his duty is set forth in the
charter and ordinances.
x -
Mr.. Callaghan's contemplated resig-
nation could be easily carried out by
cablegram from Paris; he would es-
cape the worry and annoyance of
interested hangers-on and apprehen-
sive local politicians; he could
lengthen his visit until all the IN
pleasant features would wear away,
and all comment and speculation died
out; he could come back fresh from
foreign lands, to either pursue his
profession, or seek a higher walk in
political life.
The resistance of Alderman
Hoefling and other butchers, to the
unreasonable exactions practiced
upon them by city officials, brings to
light much that is of interest to the
long.suffering, beef-eating public.
The people begin to understand the
thinness and toughness of their
steaks, and the high price OF meat,
regardless of the low price of cattle,
etc. Our butchers pay an occupation
tax OF SIS per annum; the county
exacts an inspection fee of ten cents
on each head OF cattle purchase ed; the
city exacts inspection fees of % cents
on each beef, Is cents on each calf, 10
cents on each hog or mutton, 5 cents
on each kid or lamb; thus it will be
seen that our butchers are more heav.
lily taxed than any other class of
merchants; for merchants they are,
as they buy and sell. Other mer-
chants are taxed for occupation, &C.
cording to their purchases,-a mer-
chant whose purchases amount to
$25, 900 annually, pays q state tax of
$25, and half that amount to the city.
There is not butcher whose pur-
chases will amount to S25, 200, vet
they pay an occupation tax OF SIS. OF
course the butchers make their GUS
toners pay these taxes and exactions.
The inspection fee business is a co.
lossal fraud. No inspection is made;
there are some eighty butchers own
ing shops and stalls, the practice
seems to be for the market masters
assistants to call on these butchers
oho tonO thCli WIN III WIG UcI
and kind of animals they butcher,
and is.amount is collected.
The testimony taken in the Hoefilng
trial would indicate that there is no
very strict account kept with the
market master Here is a big, ugly
leak in the city business that Mayor
Schreiner should look into.
Mayor Schreiner should call the at
tention of the city council to this
market business; the juries in the re-
corder's court will weigh the question
of better and cheaper steaks very
carefully and render a verdict every
time against the fraudulent inspec-
ton business. Our market business
needs radical reform.
Mayor Schreiner should call up the
city printing bushes the contracts
have long since expired; this no way
to conduct the business of the people.
Bids should be called for and the
work given to the lowest responsible
bidder. The tax payers are harrassed