The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-13
THE REVENUE.
License Collector Lees After
Those Who Do Not Pay
Municipal Tax.
THE AsToNIsHED COMMITTEE
Proposition to Tax Telegraph, Tele-
phone and Messenger
Companies.

Fred W. Lees, Collector of Licenses, APP
peared before the Committee on Licenses
of the Board of Supervisors yesterday
and called the attention of that body to
number of classes in the community that
have been engaged in business for years
without paying any licenses. What he
told the members of the committee
Messrs. Wagner, King and Beniamln-was
revelation to them, and if he is able to
collect quarterly dues from those who in
the past have escaped municipal taxation
he will do much toward meeting the def
cheney in the City treasury.
Collector Lees was of the opinion that in
view of the fact that restaurants that do
not have an income of $500 per quarter pay
no license, and that citizens engaged in
the merchandise business who do business
to the amount of $601 quarter have to
pay the merchandise license which fixes
the amount at $1,000 should be equalized
and brought down to 5000. 1t was so
ordered. 1t was decided that the section
should be amended to include caterers,
clearinghouse and lodging houses.
The Collector then called attention to
internal revenue brokers who pay no
license. 1t was decided that this class of
brokers should pay the same as Custom
house brokers, S. and upward quarter,
according to the amount of business.
THE towel companies pay no license"
said the Collector.
IF that is the case" said Supervisor
King, ''they ought to pay"
On motion of Supervisor King it was de-
cided that these companies should be
placed in the same category with lann-
dries and be required to pay according to
the number of men employed.
CHOW then" said the Collector, ''there
are laundres which do their washing in
counties outside of San Francisco, but
transact the bulk of their business in this
City, but do not pay license here. They
pay wagon license, and also pay license in
the county in which the laundry work is
conducted"
''Why have they not paid any license? ''
asked Supervisor Benjamin.
"Simply. for the reason that there is no
law requiring them to pay one. Take, for
instance, the Contra Costa Laundry it
does big business here, but the washing
is done in Alameda County" replied Col
lector Lees.
1t was shown that the company does a
big business here, has its clerks and sorters
in an Office on Sacramento street. so it
was decided that to meet such cases a Ii
cense similar to that collected from laun-
ores SnOulQ De I'm posed.
The committee was then informed that
Wells, Fargo & Co. pay license of 500
quarter for doing business and $3.50 a year
for teams, but that the Pacific and other
transfer companies pay only for wagon
license.
The License Collector gave the informa-
ton that in addition to wagon license the
companies pay solicitors license.
1t was then agreed that the ordinance
should be amended SO as to include trans
fer, delivery and forwarding companies"
and fixing the license of such company at
$40 a quarter.
| The Collector announced that telegraph,
| telephone and district messenger COM
| panies do not pay any license.
This also created surprise, and when
| suggestion was made that such companies
be required to pay a license of $100 quarter
when the gross receipts arc $4,000 or less,
| $3.50 when the receipts exceed $40, 600 and
are less than $4,000, and $500 when the
receipts exceed $50 600, Clerk Russell called
bility that the franchises of these COM
panies exempt them from license.
| 1t became apparent to the committee
that if it favored such a license without
obtaining legal advice it might be going
outside of its jurisdiction. The clerk was
and County Attorney and obtain his
opinion, so as to be able to act advisedly.
The committee decided to impose a
quarterly tax of $40 on those engaged in
the business of supplying gas-regulators
and one of $50 quarter on those who
supply water-flterers.
1t was also determined that dyeing and
cleaning establishments shall pay the same
license that is imposed on laundries, and
carpet-beating establishments shall pay S.
quarter.
The Collector called attention of the
committee to the fact that the new bust
ness, that of renting and stabling bicycles,
is running without license.
Supervisor King said that as 'bikes' are
running the livery business he wanted
license of $500 month imposed on all such
establishments. 1t was finally decided to
amounting to less than $4,000 quarter, $50
on receipts amounting from $1,000 to $4,000,
and $50 on receipts amounting to over
$4,000.
Supervisor King said that he considered
an unjust law that which requires $40
license from a man who owns an express
wagon and moves trunk from one part of
town to another. An effort was made to
convince him that he was mistaken; that
the law applied only to expressmen who
solicit at trains and boat landings, but he
would not be convinced, and announced
! his intention of pursuing the matter fur
ther.
The chairman handed the clerk COM
munication from Betz IL Bros, asking that
license be imposed on all who wear
badges, but it was so wonderfully and in
tricately worded that the clerk declared
that he could not make head or tail of it,
SO the petition, half read, was ordered