The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-21
WILL CONTROL THE TURKEYS.
GREEN GROCERs WIN THEIR RIGHT
IN COUNCIL.


Must Pay the Green GrOcers' Lii
cense of SIOO-ThIs shuts Out the
Family GrOcers Who only Pay $40.
The Wholesale Produce Dealers
Complain of the Methods of the
Smaller Dealers and Urge That the
Same License BE Required of All.
The committee Of the whole of the city
council held a lengthy meeting last night
the tax ordinance for 1895 being the chief
subject of consideration.
A delegation of butchers, grocers and
commission men appeared before the COM
mittee for the purpose of presenting their
interests as affected by the tax ordinance.
Their object was not to seek a reduction
of taxes, but TO show how the ordinance,
as 1t stands at present, operate unjustly
by allowing parties who pay less taxes for
other lines of business to engage in the
same lines of business for which they pay
a higher rate.
The committee of the butchers and green
grocers consisted of Messrs. Hugh Lo-
gan, J. ]. Joyce and L. Putzel Messrs.
W. G. Cooper and George S. Van Horne
appeared for the retail grocers and Messrs.
j. S. Collins, w. L. Grayson and P. Bren-
nan for the produce commission men,
The discussion came up on the petition
Of the butchers and green grocers COM
planning that the tax ordinances as ad-
mintstered for some time have discrimi-
mated greatly against the market dealers
ana in favor of parties who either paw no
license or very small license while the
market dealers are large contributors to
the Guys revenue.
Mr.. Logan was the spokesman for the
committee and made strong presenta-
ton of the case. He said that the city had a
large amount invested in the city market
probably $4,000, from which II should de-
rive large revenue. Market fees and
stall rents" he said, Should have grown
win the growth of the city. Such would
have been the case but for the fact that
for several years the legitimate dealers in
the city market have been compelled to
compete with non-licenSed dealers and
pecdlers. The butchers in the city mar
ket pay from $50 to $500 per annum for
the privilege of doing business, including
stan rents and fees. Peddlers are per-
mitted to do business either on a very
small license or free of charge. The mar
ket is governed by stringent rules while
peddlers handling the same goods con-
duct their business without restrictions
Green grocers are compelled to pay a
license of 500 per annum, while retail
permitted to handle identically the same
goods as are carried by the green grocers
IN addition TO their regular line of bus
mess. The result is that trade which
| should go to the city market goes to
| the peddler who pays no license. The sign
ers to the petition request that you will
appoint an inspector whose duties shall
be to see that all peddlers are required
to wear badges and pay license and that
no peddling be allowed on the streets I'M
| til after market hours We also ask that
all grocers who handle fresh meats. poul-
| try, or such goods as are usually sold by
| butchers and green grocers, be required
| to discontinue the sale of the same. +"
Mr.. Logan dwelt on the fact that while
the market poultry dealers pay 500 per
annum the retail grocerymen. who only
pay $50 per annum, are allowed to handle
poultry, fresh meat vegetables and al
| most anything they saw At to sell at
wholesale or retail, as well as handling
goods on commission. He said that while
many of the green grocers carry a small
| line OF family groceries, they would be
| glad to give this up on condition that the
| FAMILY grocers give up the sale of poul-
try, Vegetables and other articles prop-
erly belonging to the green grocery trade
! MIR. Joyce expressed himself on the
! same line. He said that while he carried
line of groceries in addition to his
| green grocery business, he would be will
| ing to drop II provided the family grocers
would give up their lines of poultry and
Messrs. Cooper and Van Horne said that
| 50 far as they were concerned the COM
/ plant OF the butchers could be easily
adjusted. They were perfectly Willing to
drop the poultry and vegetable trade
provided the green grocers would drop the
| lines which competed with them. and
| they believed the grocers of the CITY gen
orally would look at the matter in The
same light, they said. They only carried
these lines, they said, as a matter of ac-
commodation to their customers. and he
cause their competitors did the same
| thing.
Mr.. Van Horne entered a protest aoair,st
| the push cart dealers, a petition AGAINST
| licensing these dealers having been pre-
scented to council. These push cart deal
| efs, ne said, are a nuisance They do
| not hesitate to stop their carts in front of
| the door OF regularly licensed dealer
carrying a large stock. and to annoy him
| with their petty trade Mr.. Van Horne
| was somewhat taken back when Msvor
! Myers Informed him that the push cart
dealers pay the same license as the Mu-
| tual Cooperative Company, and other gro
| Gerry dealers, namely, $50 a year
Mr.. Grayson discussed the produce COM
mission business. He said that there are
| only three houses in the city which nav
| the Wholesale license, Collins C;ravson <,
| Co, kavanaugh & Brennan and w In
man Miller. while there are a number of
! dealers who pay the retail license of S30
! and yet do precisely the same business
| 1t is true, he said, that these dealers car
ry smaller stocks, but this does not pre-
! vent them from coming into direct COM
! petition with the dealers paying the larger
| license. They buy from the same naoIIe
and sell to the same customers he said
| Mr.. Grayson said that this looseness I'm
the construction of the tax ordinance ha
caused the regular. produce dealers
great injury. A number of irresponsible
parties he said had entered the business
! attracted by the opportunity of securine
goods on consignment to be paid for wheT
sold. By making fiattering offers to The
dealers of the interior they are able to
! secure consignments which would other
| wise have gone TO older dealers Havfno
secured the goods they proceed to under-
sell the larger dealers and then the con.
signer is left to whistle for his money. IN
| stances of this kind have become SO com
| mon of late, said Mr.. Grayson that So
] vannah has become notorious for sucb
| dealings, and the good name of the citv Is
| greatly injured The result of these meth
! DDS of business, Mr.. Greyson said is that
! the established firms who pay the higher
/ license and carry large stocks on which
| they also pay taxes. are having their hus-
| mess ruined by the sharpers who parade
/ themselves as commission men and AT + h.
same time the producers and dealers in
! the interior are becoming distrustful ~
/ the entire comm sson trade in Savannah
| Mr.. GraysOn's statements were corrobo.
| rated by Mr.. Brennan and Mr.. Collins AM
\ also by Mr.. PutAal They said thew AID
/ not care whether the license was SiO an
/ $500. so the legitimate dealers are protect
/ cd in their business and saved from com
petition with people who do not pay Tor
! what they sell.
The petitioners then retired and the
I committee proceeded 70 discuss the tav
ordinance. The request OF the butchers nj