The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-04-21
Make PEDDLERS PAY
Plea For the Benefit of the
Whole Community.
PROTECT HOME INTEREST
People who Do Not Pay Store Rent, Taxes
or Mercantile Licenses should Not be
Allowed More Privileges Than Those
who Do.

Now that the subject of protection of
the interests of local business men is be-
fore the law committee of the Borough
Council it might be well to suggest that
the committee formulate a plan for a
general campaign in behalf of home trade
and one of the evils that comes up first
for consideration is peddling.
Several years ago this peddling system
secured such hold in the town that the
business people were obliged to combine
for protection and the movement resulted
in crushing out the evil for some time.
The business men were obliged to take
the matter in hand because there was no
borough ordinance bearing on the ubject
and the local authorities did not feel safe
in taking the matter in their own hands:
but shortly after an ordinance relating to
peddltng and hawking was enacted and it
is still in full force.
At no time in the history of the town,
the period of the uprising of business
men not excepted, has this town been so
overrun with peddlers as it is at the
present time. A walk through any of the
streets at any time of the day will de-
monstrate that the town is flooded with
them. This is due to the fact that in
most of the towns of this and adjoining
counties the authorities will not tolerate
these people and they find in Shenandoah
a haven of protection and unlimited sway
because of the Indifference with which
the borough laws are treated.
The evil attending tina peddling system
does not bear alone upon the business
people. 1t affects all classes, for the
reason that many of the followers of the
vocation use it as cloak for stealing and
taking. There are to-day dozens of men
going about the town selling spurious
watches, jewelry, dry goods and other
articles and some sell revolvers to child
rem and youths. The latter is an evil
which needs no comment.
The practice of peddlers walking into
houses without privilege and insulting
aud threatening unprotected women has
been so common that the newspapers have
tired of calling attention to- it. The laxity
of the law has given the peddlers the i'm
preston that they have right to come
into the town at any and all times and
drive bargain in any manner which to
them may be deemed effectual and threats
may be made with impunity. So much
for the people at large.
AS to the business people the peddling
system is a direct financial blow to them.
They pay high rents for stores, pay taxes
and a mercantile license, must pay the
cost of heating and illuminating their
places, provide for the maintenance of
clerks and horses, pay bills for repairs to
wagons and contribute to the support of
nome CudIlNltS anu pubic llSJlLuIlOlS,
repair their pavements and live up strictly
TO the regulations of the borough ordin-
ance, or step up and pay fines, and yet by
the neglect of the borough officials they
are compelled to compete with peddlers in
prices or lose trade.
Is this right
The Borough Council has n remedy
which it can apply if it will. Ordinance
LII provides that it shall not be lawful
for any person in the said borough to
hawk, peddle," ETC., without first taking
out a license from the Chief Burgess and
paying the fees hereinafter required" "
1t is well enough to say that the busi-
ness people and such other citizens who
may have complaints should protect
themselves by watching the peddlers and
it is admitted that they have the right to
do so, but it is the duty of the borough
authorities to see that no person peddles in
the town without first having paid for and
secured the license required by the ordi-
nance quoted.
II this law was enforced as it should be
one of two excellent results would surely
follow. A license fee as required by the
ordinance for each peddler now plying
his trade at will would in year almost
amount to enough to pay for the cost of
repairs to the streets But should the
license drive the peddlers out of town,
then the business men would be left to
enjoy the trade to which they are entitled
aud should receive. An enforcement of
the law is bound to be of great benefit in
one or the other direction, and perhaps
both.