Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-12-24

Will be the first TO Oenellt. Wnlle at the
same time giving abundant excuse for
forcing concessions from this coun-
y.-Chicago Record.
tjINERANT VENDORS AND PEOOLERS.
There is 10 good reason why Vermont
merchants and shop-keepers should pay
taxes on real estate and stocks of goods
while peddlers are allowed to 90 up and
down the state selling staple goods as
well as Yankee notions and almost every
class of products without any expense
except that of food and lodging; and yet
this is very generally the present condi-
ton of affairs Editor Hays OF the
Essex Record has begun crusade
against itncrants of this class, and
there is no reason why the movement
should not result in the realization of
considerable revenue from this source by
the state.
A. the law now stands those persons
known as i,iuerant vendors who go frOr:
town to town. not selling their wares
from house to house, but from quarters
temporarily occupied, are required to
make special deposit with the state
treasurer of $500, to pay "A license fee of
S25 to the state ami to be subject to such
other fees as towns, villages or cities
may demand; and in sixty days after
closing up their business and after show
ing that they have complied with the
/ law they are entitled to the return of the
$500 or So much thereof AS may be
their due The penalty for itinerant
L . ..tI..
is imprisonment for not more than sixty
days or fine of not more than $50, or
both.
If u peddler travels from town to town
on foot selling goods, the license is Sl5.
If he travels by team or rail, he must
pay license fee OF $50, and If he carries
and offers for sale plated or gilded ware,
lrwcIry. watches or Il patent medicine or
il compound medicine, the composition
of which is kept secret from the public,
the license fee nam, in the statute is $50.
Licenses to peddleis must be Issued by
the clerk of the county in which the APP
plicant resides and cOunterSigncd by the
treasurer of the county, and any person
who becomes a peddler without license
is subject to fine of not more than
$500 nor less than $50; but residents of
This state who served as soldiers in the
late war and were hOnorably discharged
are exempt from the payment of licenses
in towns, villages and cities as well as in
the state. If a peddler refuses to show
his license when thereto required by one
of the board of civil authority of town,
he shall be fined $40, and he may be de-
tanned in custody until the prosecuting
officer has opportunity to make COM
plant against him.
We have thus briefly summarized the
principal provisions of the laws of this
state with reference to peddlers and
itinerant vendors, and while the re-
quirements are not excessive, it can be
seen that the license fees required are
sufficiently large to assure local dealers
ample protection and at the same time ia
produce a handsome revenue for the
state.
As matter of fact, however, the
state has realized practically nothing
from this source in the way of fees for
years. Itinerant vendors and peddlers
have roamed over the state at will, en-
ioying large sales and handsome profits
in many instances, at the expense OF
local dealers who, in addition to the
expense of maintaining places of bust
ness must pay both local and state
taxes.
There are remote localities undoubted-
ly which enjoy the opportunities afforded
by the periodical visits of peddlers, bu,
even those sections would be benefited
by more strict scrutiny of the individu
ais whom they patronize.
Be this a. it may, simple Justice re
quires that itinerant vendors and ped
oilers be required to bear their small
share of the expense of the privilege;
which they burlington Free
Press.
President Diaz has invited w. j
Bryan to be his guest during his stay il
the Mexican capital.
The suit of Mary Ann Angel agains
the heirs of Jay Gould was thrown on
of court i'm New York.
Nearly S5,OO0,0O0 worth of paten
medicines are exported from the United