Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1895-03-07
TAXATION AND LICENSES
New License Ordinance to Be
Promulgated to Settle a
Vexed Question.
Draymen Would Like to See
Licenses Abolished. Kick
on Sewer.

I
Monday at which all aldermen were
present with the exception of Messrs.
Fletcher and Lieber, communication
was received from Messrs. Austin. Clapp,
Christopherson, Schibley, Blenkner,
Thorold, Canham, Joos, Jack
SOD, Wink, Hatton, Warner,
and P. J. Connolly begging the city
| council to abandon the use Of the sewer
on Fifth avenue because'lt is obnoxious
and is endangering the lives Of them
selves and families. AID. Porter wanted
q committee appointed to investigate the
matter. He said the sewer could be
smelled two blocks and was very dis
gusting. The grievance was referred to
the sewerage committee to look up.
LICENSE TAX DISCUSSION.
City Clerk Geo. Eager reported that
during February be had collected $8O7O
in licences of which ESQ were from public
resorts, slO.70 drsymen's license and SO
plumbers license. In this connection
he read statement of those who had,
and had not, paid their public resort
licenses up to date. In reply to q
motion to refer the matter of delinquent
licenses to the city attorney with in
structlons to collect, Mr.. Fredrus Bald
win stated why it would be impractlcable
in some cases, to collect the license or
institute proceedings against the mana
gers Of such places without sufficient
| proper evidence on which to base an
action; that some had made arrange
ments to fully pay the debt while others
had gone out of the business. The
question was discussed at considerable
length and it declared to be the
sense of the council that the keepers of
public resorts IN this city shall be
| treated alike and that collections in full
shall be made from all places that are
open or else such action taken as shall
close them up. It was not considered
fair th2t those who pay license should
not receive the protection which that
license entities them to; that no dis
crlmination should be made and the plea
of poverty not considered.
! The teamsters appeared before the
council and presented their case in re-
gard to the payment of license for the
privilege of dong that class of business
in the city. They claimed that
in the hauling o: rubbish, refuse
etc, they we're in no wise interfering
with the general work Of the dray men
and by securing this work they were
| cudUloU " IuTu du uOuc6U pcuuy duA
secure much needed work. The drRymen
had been chasing each other OF late for
on-payment of license and one case 6p-
pealed to the district court. Pending
that decision the teamsters wanted to
molested and compelled to secure a
license. If so, they would not attempt
the work as they had not the money to
secure license. Alderman Wells read
an amendment to the license ordinance,
covering the point in dispute, which had
been prepared months ago, but for some
reason had been neglected.
The city attorney read from the char
ter showing that the council hac au-
thorlty to license, tax and regulate
nearly every class of business in the city
from banks to ice wagons, from hotels
and grocery stores to artists and horse
dealers, from insurance agents to drays
land all other vehicles, and all other
trades, avocations or professions what
ever Seeing that the latitude is great,
the field almost unlimited, and the city
urgently in need of every dollar OF
revenue which it can secure instead OF
being in position TO do away entirely
with draymen's license-as that particu-
lar class of business stated they would
like to see--the license committee were
instructed to draw up a license ordinance
based on the section of the charter just
referred to.
WITHOUT A CHIEF OF POLICE.
Mayor Halstead stated that he had
seen tit, for just and sufficient cause, to
remove Chief Thompson from Office and
the city was today without chief of
police The action of the mayor was
sustained by the council unanimously
The aldermen believed that for the next
month the good order and peace of the
city could be maintained by the night
police working afternoons and the major
part of the night. However, If the mayor
should deem this insufficient protection
he has the power to put on as many
additional special policemen as may be
necessary to MAINTAIN proper protection.
COUNCIL SCRAPS.
AS the old court house has passed out
of the hands of the city, IL was found
necessary to secure a new polling place
in the Third ward. Alderman Blood was
delegated to attend to this matter.
The city election OF mayor and four
aldermen will occur before the next
meeting of the council and inspectors of
} election we're appointed for the different
} precincts, as follows: First ward, F
Clemens; Second ward, G. Porter; Third
ward. H. A. Blood; Fourth ward, w. H.
Fletcher. The council is desirous OF re-
ducirg the election expenses to the
minimum and instructed the city attor-
ney to ascertain If the number of clerks
could not be reduced.
r. j. Bigger wanted about $50 fest Of
sidewalk on Third avenue-in the Fourth
ward-which has been torn up aud worn
out. replaced by the city. The street
and bridge committee will look it up.
The new ordinance, No. 80, for the
regulation of the fire department, when
placed on it's final passage, was killed.
That fire whistle for the electric light
plant is coming.
Bills sggregating $304.42, were al
lowed.