The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-12-29
Opposed to the License Ordinance.

would like to ask you for space to ex-
press my views on the proposed ordinance
submitted to our Council, Monday evening.
Nov. 9th. AS such ordinance, IL it should
become law, i think. is progress i'm the
wrong direction, for our people of Owosso
to sustain. 1t is not in keeping with the
enterprise that is being held out by our
people, that has made our city one of the
best of its size in the state of Michigan, IL
not in the United States.
We have represented for some years that
we held open arms to welcome worthy en-
terprises from any part of the globe This
ordinance provides that any merchant or
transient trader cannot give our people bar
gains without first paying into the city
treasury ten dollars per day for ten DAYS
and five dollars per day thereafter for the
next thirty days, or a total amount of $3.50
for the privilege of selling merchandise for
forty days within our city limits. say
this is exorbitant and is not license but a
fine, and do not think the Supreme Court
would sustain such fine l ask the Coun-
Gil what is this fine for? 1 suppose they
will say 1t Is to protect our home merchants
who pay taxes. If this is so then why does
anyone ask for such an unreasonable license
or tax? think it is done to keep out Oh
position, to favor the few against the many.
] say IL anyone has bargains to offer our
people let them come and grant our people
all the favOrs possible by their paying Just
share of the city expense. Under this or
dinaDce landlord could not rent his store
without he Is sure of successful merchant
for at least two years. Such law is unjust
TO the consumers of our city and also unjust
to the landlords who invest in store property
The city of OwossO has the reputation of
being the best trading point in central
Michigan. Let us take such action as to
further attract the buyer to come to Owosso
TO spend his money, that the best possible
bargains may be showered upon every one
that will come to our city to spend their
money. Most of our merchants are getting
rich not 50 much from the large profits as
from the great volume of business done.
They do not need such protection as the
ordinance imposes for them.
/ believe in law to favor the masses of the
people; on the principle of the ordinance
we would need only one store and one grist
mill. and / believe one school house if IL
had only been enacted and sustained i'm the
early history of the city.
We do not want any laws to cause the
masses to pay higher prices. / believe we
should as far as possible favor any plan to
give the consumer all we possibly can for
the money.
might as well say when the proposition
was made to Owosso for the entcrprising
firms, now called the Owosso Mfg. CO..
OwossO Casket Go. or the present Robbins
Table Co., as such companies drew largely
from my employees, who had learned TO
perform the work for my company. with
such speed and skill as would cost us large
sums to teach others to do, or that their
presence would largely increase the use of
raw material, and cost us thousands of dol
lars more than If we could be the only
manufacturers here, that needed these
labOrers or raw material, both of which are
taxed us for large sums. This would have
been the selfish side of il, IL we had
objected. was willing to pay my share of
large bonuses to foster and increase these
enterprises, which are nothing more or less
than strong opposition, many times more
than any transient trader or peddler has
been to our merchants.
The principle Of this ordinance is too
much like a ten cent street car fare, all for
street railroad and think such law should
be blotted from our records forever, at least
in the present extreme.
think our city should have at least two
days In the week for general market days,
that will bring the producer and consumer
90 CiOSc tORctHcI dS pOSSlDie, say We0neS-
day and Saturday. This would save the
consumers of our city many thousands of
dollars, as well as the producers. They
could be sure of meeting each other on these
two days Of the week, say from six a. m. to
one p. m. Wednesdays, and from twelve m.
until $50 p. m. Saturdays. Establish GER
tain locations only for this purpose, COM
mencing on the corner of any block, back
the wagons to the sidewalk, as close to-
gether as convenient, extend as far around
the block as is necessary to accommodate
every seller, and every consumer can pass
along the sidewalk and inspect what is
offered for sale during this time. The
farmer would know just what hour to have
his product on the ground in order TO meet
ready SALE
Our city is of sufficient size to warrant
market day. and the people would soon
become accustomed to 1t, and the result
would be very pleasing both to producer
and consumer, In my opinion.
ID. M. EsTEY.