The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1897-07-22
WHOLESALERS MUST PAY.
The Council Instructs Chief stemm to
Enfore the Excise Law.

| by the council at its meeting Monday
evening, which will not be exactly tC
the liking of the wholesale liquor
dealers of the city. Ever since the
beginning of the fiscal year they have
been hiding behind state law passed
by the legislature in 1895 which did
away practically with the distinction
between wholesale and retail liquor
dealers. They had evidently settled
upon purpose to sell their goods from
private saloons and thus avoid paying
a separate license for their branch OF
the business. The city would thus be
defrauded out of about $4,000 or
$780, The matter was referred to
the city attorney for an opinion. The
said officials report was rendered to
the council Monday evening, and
stated that the law behind which the
wholesalers was hiding did not cover
them completely, for the reason that
when a license to sell liquors was
granted it was to be hung in the room
in which the liquor was to be sold. II
man sold liquors at retail in one
part of building and another man, or
even the same man, sold liquors at
wholesale in another part of the same
building, there were two businesses
being carried on and the council had a
right to see that a license was exacted
from each. This is not the wording of
the opinion, but it gives the idea of it
in popular form, devoid of legal tech
nicalities. When this opinion had
been read Aid. Nc Givern said he
wanted Chief Stemm to "pull" all the
wholesalers in the city who were not
paying the required $500 license. AID.
Gonnermann wanted them to be given
few days notice to come in and pay
up. A running fire OF discussion fol-
lowed for few moments and wound
up by Aid. Jacobs moving that the
chief of police be instructed to enforce
the law. The motion was carried
unanimously.
The meeting opened as though there
was going to be hot time in the old
town that night. Immediately after
roll call, in which it was found that
Aid. Frost was the only absentee, and
the reading of the minutes, Aid. Con
hermann said he would withdraw his
protest against paying for the legal
notices on the Prairie avenue paving
job, provided it was not necessary to
republish them. He then served
notice that the assessments made on
the Prairie avenue paving job had not
been properly determined and that he
would keep weather eye out for that
point. He said that some Of the
assessments had been levied against
persons who did not own the property
against which the assessments we're
levied, and some against property
which was not there. He wanted to
see the thing corrected.
Mayor Culley said that there never
would be any charge for the paving
notices referred to by the alderman,
and explained that the object of pub
fishing the list Of assessments as levied
on Prairie avenue, was to give every
person an opportunity to appear before
the board of equalization to get mat
tiers set right where they were wrong.
That ended that incident.
A petition was received from resi-
dents of the Second and Fourth wards
praying that Northwest Main street be
opened up from Middle street north
over the creek. The matter was re-
ferred to the committee on streets,
alleys and bridges.
H. E. Meers presented a petition
praying that she might build a metal
covered, one story building next the
Reber & Martin building. Referred to
the committee on fire department..
Next came the resignation of nine of
the members Of the Independent Hose
company. The council did not accept
the designations at once, but will do so
just as soon as the members of the
company return what city property
they may have in their possession.
The matter of securing this property
was left to the committee on fire de-
partment.
The report of the water commits
sioners, which will be found elsewhere
in this paper, sread and referred to
The finance committee for investigation.
City Engineer Davidson reported
the Exchange street sewer completed,
and that William Killers, the con-
tractor, was entitled to $1235.50 The
report was accepted.
There had been some question con-
corning whether the city had a right to
order dogs destroyed under ordinance
No 195, and the matter had been re-
ferred to the city attorney. He re-
ported that under the law the council
had all the power it needed to destroy
all unlicensed dogs.
This was the point at which the
report of the city attorney was made
relative to the licensing of wholesale
liquor dealers, mentioned above.
An ordinance was presented and