The herald., 1895-08-01
PEDDLERS GROW SARCASTIC
They AIlude to the Present Lii
cense as a Fine
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Finds Itself in Receipt of IAN Open
Letter
wFlat Justitia" Also Takes a Hand and Ex.
presses His Views on the Question of
Taxing the Effort TO Live

no 1Cidid 10 III iSSSiHN VI a
Iation of the nature of an open letter.
with request that it be published. II
is addressed to the Honorable Board OF
Supervisors of Los Angeles county. 1t is
too long to be given in FULL but is printed
in abridged form. as follows:
Gentlemen We a few days ago pre-
sented to your honorable body the fol-
owing petition, to wit: Whereas. we
the undersigned citizens and residents
Sf the city and county of Los Angeles,
California. have heretofore been engaged,
some of us. IN peddling fruit and others
vexeta bles. candy, ice cream, popcorn,
peanuts, fish, game. poultry and meat,
ana whereas. section 80 of the county Ii
cense ordinance imposes a tax of S4 per
month wnen one-horse wagon is used.
and So per month when n two.horse
wagon is used in the business of ped
ding, we respectfully represent to your
honorable body that there is only bare
living in the said business at best, and
that to enforce said ordinance would be
to taku away from many of us the means
of gaining u livelihood; we further rep
resent that we pay our state. city and
county taxes, just as other citizens do
and We deem it arbitrary and unjust to
impose upon dS q special tax OF Y4S per
wear, or of any amount whatever, for the
privilege OF plying an honest and useful
vocation to gain livelihood for ourselves
and our families. Therefore, we your pc
titioners. ask that you repeal said section
50 OF said ordinance, and your petitioners
will ever pray
Your honors will doubtless remembe
that the petition was numerously signed
by those who depended for living on
the business of peudling in this city. We
notice in the published proceedings OF
your honorable body since that date that
you have fixed the county license for ped
ding at 81 per month, We desire to say
that the fact that you in your wisdo m
and power have seen fit to only fine
y12 per year instefd of $4S to $50, as orig
inally proposed for the privilege OF try
ing to carr an honest living for our m
lilies. speaks volumes for the generosity
and nobility of your characters. We fully
appreciate the fact that you may have po-
litical debts to pay, and that ii will be
necessary to appoint collectors at salaries
which you in the generosity of your
hearts will no doubt make liberal. 1t
occurs tc us, however. that the licenses
to be collected at 81 per month may not
be sufficient to pay comfortable salaries
to the aforesaid collectors. In that event.
you will, of course impose heavier fine
on the fruit peddlers, and that will make
it all right. 1t it true that those VINO are
engaged in peddling are generally poor
men. This fine may drive some OF tho n
out of the business. There are many
willing workers idle Iow in this city.
These men may not find employment, and
they and their families may suffer. But
what does that matter?
1t is also true that the peddlers by buy
lng the fruit direct from the producers,
ana carrying it fresh to the doors of
the consumers. created a home market
for almost twice as much of our home
grown fruits as would be sold and con-
sumed in the city if the peddlers were
driven from the streets. In that event
growers would suffer great loss. The
consumers would suffer Inconvenience
and pay higher price for the fruit they
would buy; but of course these are mat
ters OF no consequence. A few of the
fruit stores would probably make a little
moro money, and it would no doubt be
q good thing for the street car companies.
People would have to go down town to be
sure Of getting nice fresh fruit.
To our minds there is one difficulty
about the business. Some of these fool
neddlers have the mistaken idea that
they ought to be free men. They think
when they buy the best there is on the
market. carry it to their customers and
deal fairly and honestly in buying and
selling. they are not doing any harm.
and that they really ought to be- allowed
to WORK and make a living without bein
fined for it. You see they don't under
stand politics or finance either. If they
did they would not be peddling fruit.
But they have the idea all the same. and
some of them are as bull headed as can
be. They may 20 right along and work
from O'Clock in the morning until
sundown to try to make n living for their
families, and refuse to pay their fine.
In that case you may have to give them
taste of prison fare and a little eXper-
ience in the ch hain-gang. We shall care
fully note the course of events, and write
your honorable body again as occasion
may demand.
p. S.-There are a Few old soldiers
among the peddlers, and they are the
most cantankerous fools about it of any
in the whole outfit. If you have to put
anybody in the chain-gang. better catch
the old soldiers and put them on first.
If they will work make them work for
the county. PEDDLERS.
Fiat Justitia
Another letter bearing upon the same
subject matter has been received and is