The herald., 1894-07-29
A TAX ON HOME PRODUCTIONS.
Commission Merchants Address
the Council.
Some Cogent Arguments Presented
Yesterday.
H. Jsvns and General Mathews File .
Protest Against the New Liosase.
How Southern CaIifornia Pro-
ducts are Taxed

While the council was in session yes.
terdsy morning as a board of equaliza.
tion they were visited by . delegation Of
we'll known citizens who had q grievance
to present with regard to the new license
ordinance.
Tho party came from the Merchants
association, and consisted Of Max Mey-
berg, Gen. John r. Mathews. 81. Jevne,
Mr.. Simpson OF Simpson, Montgomery *
Co., and representative OF the Cor
main Fruit company, and others. They
appeared before the council to urge the
abolition of the tax imposed on the COM
the new license ordinance.
The fret speaker was Mr.. Jevne. who
stated that the ordinance actually would
not affect more than 10 or II people,
who were virtually on the same level as
the merchants whose tax had been re-
moved under the conditions OF the new
ordinance. About one-tenth OF the COM
mercisl transactions Of these gentlemen
could be strictly classed under the head
OF com mission buniness, and yet they
were called on under the new ordinance
to pay an excessive and unjust tax. He
sincerely hoped that the council would
act in the same broad and progressive
spirit which they had shown in dealing
with the merchants. and place the CON-
mission men who wore handling home
products on the samo equal footing with
the general merchants.
General John R. Mathews said that
the commission men OF Los Angeles were
regular merchants who were compelled
to meet their tax obligations. They were
not to be confused with brokers, and
perhaps only one.tenth OF their business
was on consignment. There were fruit
dealers handling goods valued at s100 to
5000 per week who escaped this special
tax, and on the same ground the legiti-
mate commission merchants should be
exempted. The commission merchants
were handling the products OF the coun-
try and were always ready and willing to
do verything to contribute to the growth
and development of Southern California.
They had gone into the question OF the
expansion OF the bueiness OF Los Angeles
and of Southern California IN practical
manner, for they took the productions
of the soil and found = market for them.
Much of the present prosperity OF
Southern California was due to the ex-
cellsnt missionary work OF the commits
plOA VI DVp hnkOiCns W AO ny
presenting the productions of the farms
and ranches of Southern California to
the world at large, and finding a profit.
able market for the producer for them
had attracted the attention of eastern
capital to the glorious possibilities OF
Southern California. He had been .
member of the Merohants' association
in the old days of the boom and knew
whereof he spoke. 1t WAS the homo pro.
ductions of Southern California as mue b
as anything elss that had drawn tn
present population here.
There were not many commission msr-
chanta, and those who were engaged in
the business felt that an injustice had
been done them in imposing this special
tax on their business. He was satisfied
that on reflection the council would
adopt an ordinance amending the orig
inal one and relieve them of this burden.
Mayor Rowan and others present spoke
in similar strain, and Mr.. Nickel,
who was acting as presiding officer,
stated that the matter was in the hands
OF the finance committee, and he was
satisfied they would make como recon-
mendation that weuld cover the m after.