St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-17
TAXPAYERS CRY OUT
City Fathers Wrestle With
the Peddlers' Licensing
Ordinance.
Peddlers Protest Against the
Doubling Of Their Lii
cenSe.
GrocerS Urge That 1t Is
Needed for Their Pro-
lection.
Grave Objections Raised to
the Exemption of Minor
PeddlerS.

{ The joint committee on licenses wrest-
led for naught yesterday afternoon
with the vexations problem of fixing
peddlerS' licenses for the ensuing year.
There was goodly delegation of gro
GERS present to urge the passage of the
ordinance that doubles the amount paid
by the street vendors the past
year. and then came the peddlerS
in motley array. They were le
gion. and crowded the committee
room, the council chamber and the
corridors of the city hail. and they did
not depend upon their individual and
collective subtlety, either, for they were
also represented by Attorney Ben
Davis.
The first section of the ordinance was
read. and that is as far as the commit
tee could go. A deadlock intercepted
progress. and only one thing was left
and that was TO adjourn when it is
thought full meeting will be secured.
Accordingly, Saturday at $50 was deS
ignated as the hour for wrestling with
the question again. with the hope of
getting a report ready for the meeting
of the assembly next Tuesday evening
AID. Van Slyke invited the grocers to
explain their position. A. p. Moss re-
sp0nded briefly. He stated that never
has the city had an ordinance that de-
fines what peddler is. and that is the
purpose of the ordinance, which had
been drafted at their dictation, by the
way.
Aid. Gehan asked Mr.. Moss to explain
the reason why the price Of peddlers'
licenses should be doubled over the
previous years, but Mr.. Moss hesitated.
The question was repeated, and Mr..
Moss reminded the committee that the
city has a public market house where
vegetables and the like are sold by tax
payers, and he asserted that the grocers
contribute quite largely TO the support
of the city government through taxa
ton, and he dwelt at some length upon
the variety of articles sold by peddlers
through the city.
DO the groeers-and understand you are
the instigators of this oTdinanee-do you pay
license for selling green goods?" asked Aid.
Gehan.
No" answered a. J. Birmingham
do you think you pay more il the way of
stuff you sell. than the peddlers do?' per-
sisted Aid. Gehan.
Yes; we do'
And there is very small margInY'
There isn't much made on green goods"
There is another thing that we must not
overlook" interrupted Assemblyman Van
Slyke. I'VE must consider the sanitary phase
OF the question: and he intimated that some
of the vegetables aud fruits sold by peddlers
are scarcely as sound and healthful as they
should be.
Attorney Davis was given the floor to
argue for the peddlers. He assumed,
because nothing to the contrary had
been claimed, that there is nothing
morally Objectionable to the occupation
of peddlers, and he assumed further
more that they are useful and beneficial
citizens, and great convenience to
shopping. This being true, he urged
it is wrong principle to i'm
pose an unjust tax upon them
simply because they are peddlers. The
only authority that can be found for i'm
posing license fee is an ethical one to
even up taxes, and he would challenge
Mr.. Moss to show that any grocer in
the city pays tax even of $40 year on
green stuffs. They are personal prop
erty, he pursued, and the assessment
on personal property is made by the
city on the 1st of every May. or at
season of the year when the grocer has
no green goods. Consequently they are
not taxed Oh green goods at all. He
continued at some length, arguing that
the old license fee was high and that it
is unfair to double the amount.
Aid. Van Slyke asked TO have chill
dren peddling with baskets exempt from
the operations of the ordinance, but Mr..
Banhozer thought it an unfit and dan
gerous employment for children. He
rehearSed some of the incidents he had
witnessed among child-peddlers in
illustration of the point, and declared it
a veritable school for vice.
Mr.. Van Slyke insisted there are
number of charitable institutions in the
city that make knit goods. and these are
sold by people from baskets, while the
proceeds go to worthy charities.
Such can get special permits" ex-
claimed Aid. Banholzer. Il do not
think we should allow children to go
about the streets peddling in promIS-
cuous way"
Mr.. Van Slyke insisted upon his mo-
ton, but when it was put it was lost on
a tie vote, Aid. Gehan voting with AS
sembiyman Van Slyke, while Aid. Bott
voted no with blyman Banholzer.
Here was an interminable hitch. Aid.
Banholzer moved the adoption of the
section as it was originally written,
merely exempting newsboys and match
peddlerS. There was no second. Then
aiQ 0CHdu ulOfSo W anu bllcI6
was no second to that.
Aid. Bott was sturdy. He would not
concede that it was advisable to double
the amount of the license to be paid by
the father and then let children peddle
free The father will take out no
license and the children will support
the family" said he, land it is not
proper thing. There are too many chill
dren on the streets now. They should be
in better places"
After some further discussion the
committee adjourned as related.