The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-01-17
CITY LIQUOR LICENSES.
THE PROPOSED INCREASE or
POSED BY DESLEKS.
License Taxes Upon the Various Ofhes
Branches of Business Fixed-Chsuges
In the Assessment.

The two branches OF the City Council
met last evening at s:S0 o'clock IN the
Council chamber as committee Of the
whole, to take up once more the con-
sideration OF the revised city ORDINANCES.
Those present were Messrs. Turp;n. presi-
dent Of the Board OF Aldermen, and
Messrs Allen. Blake. BloOnbsrg. Briggs.
Burton. Caskie, Cottrell. Gonst. Lawder,
Snead, King. Vaughan. Wallerstein. and
Woody. MIR. Turpin presided. and Cap
tain Alexander Coke. the codi'ier, record
ed. while Sergeant-at-Arms Il. r.. Raj
ston acted as reading clerk.
The first matter taken up was the chap
ter relating TO delinquent taxes. AZ
present those who are delinquent have
no interest TO pay on the taxes whicn
they owe the city, but upon the recon-
mendation of the Finance Committee IL
was decided 10 amend the charter 20
that hereafter delinquent taxpayers VIII
have to pay per cent. interest on their
arrears.
LICENSE TAXES.
The next chapter considered was tnat
about license taxes. II was, perhaps, TIE
most important subject that has been
considered by the committee OF the
whole. inasmuch as II likes the license
tax upon the various branches OF busi-
ness represented In this city. tp TO TINS
time the various business avocaticns nave
been divided into several classes. ihtlr
number under the new system. as recon-
mended by the Finance Committee, has
been decreased. in order 10 Simpluy the
work OF that body when II proceeds 10
the annual assessment of taxes.
In explaining the report OF the COM
mittee. MIR. Caslkle said the new eche-
dule would secure the city a large IN
crease OF the revenues, which was caus-
ed i'm the main by the proposed change.
The new chapter OF the ordinance was
adopted after "A good deal OF discussion,
and the changes I'm the assessment or
the taxes. as provided In this measure,
are as follows:
General auctioneers. real estate agents.
&c, four classes. 500, 600, SiUo and $50.
Commission merchants. iiye classes.
$3.50 $3.50, SIOo, $50. and $40.
Dealers i'm futures. In stocks, bonds,
grain. produce. &c one class sJDD. This
evoked a great deal OF discussion. Messrs.
Snead and Briggs making vigorous
hIht 10 Tx the tax az Si,ro.
Stock and bond brokers, four classes.
500, 500, 800, and SD
Wholesale liquor dealers. two classes.
5000 and $40.
LIQUOR DEALERS LICENSE.
The question OF scheduling the licenses
of retail liquor dealers and OF barkeepers
caused great deal of discussion. The
Finance Committee recommended tax
OF $50 upon retailers who sell liquor not
to be drunk when purchased (or by the
bottle), and "A similar sum on wholesaie
and retail dealers OF malt liquors. Z
also recommended the imposition of two
classes OF taxes on sarkeepers. 500 and
500. The bar-room. under the plan pre-
sentcd by the Committee on Finance.
could also retail liquor by the bottle.
The Liquor Dealers Association was
REPRESENTED by Messrs. John M. Higgins,
RnGQna.
III. zimmerman. and " J. Smith. Thest
gentlemen wer" heard upon thih nl1TrciN
OF taxation They expressed the hope
that the committee would not make any
material Increase IN the liquor license.
Their trade. they felt confident. would
be willing 10 bear proper proportion OF
the increase along with other branches
or business. II the city was In need OF
more revenue. but they did not feel that
they should have to carry all the burden.
MIR. BLAKE's PLAN
Mir. Blake gave the body some very
pregnant facts concerning the liquor
trade In Richmond, and presented dir
ferent plan from that OF the Finance
Committee. He said that there were In
Richmond 3OD bar-keeDcrS who paid an
annual tax to the city OF so each: there
were 10 who paid $ioe each, and there
were 81 retail dealers who paid so each.
making a grand total OF 5Jz places In the
city where liquor is sold by retail. This
was an average OF a bar-room TO every
2JJ persons. men, women, and children.
He said that by the present plan the
city derived only $3.50 from places OF
business where whisky was sold AT re-
tail. He offered az motion TO do away
with all the places. TO put the retail
dealers and the bar-keeDers on the same
footing. and charge all ltcense-tax or
sfOO per annum. The city would thus
derive a revenue OF S35.. 200, or an increase
Of Sl6,9JO over the present receipts.
Mr. Caskie argued against Mr. Blake's
plan, on the ground that II was desirable
that the low dives and tough bar-roms
should be broken up ana the Guy ksot
rid of such places. He said that the
Finance Committee had studied this mat
ter very carefully. and had looked into
the ordinances OF cities all over the state,
only 10 ind that all OF them were charg-
ing higher bar-room tax than Richmond
Tvnchburg's license was 500 straight:
DanvilIe's Si75 and upward. and other
places charged like amounts. lie Thought
that the only way to deal with this ques-
ton was to so regulate II as 10 keep the
business in the hands OF reputable men,
and that the plan OF the Committee on
Finance. VITA the assistance OF the Judge
of the Iustngs Court, would 90 thir-
JUDGE INGRAMS y PLAN.
Mr.. Blake here remarked mat Judge
Ingram, of Man, hester had settled tne
Sunday liquor selling in that city ~ wen.
tv-four hours by finihg thirteen Offenders
sIOO each and taking their Licenses away
lie averred that there had been no yioia-
lions of the Sabbath laws In the city OF
Manchester since. He said that the sun
day traffic had been broken up In Peters
burg in the same way -, a..
After some further discussion OF IN.
matter the committee decided 20 ne1er
action until next Tuesday night AZ
o'clock. when the retail dealers, oar
Keepers and all others Interested IN sn'S
question. are invited to he present