The record-union., 1897-02-14
CITY LICENSES.
Trustee Davis Makes a Statement Of His
Position.
He is in Favor of Making All Mer-
chants Pay Reasonable
City Licenses.

The following communication from
James G. Davis, Trustee from the Third
Ward, explains itself:
EDS. Record Union: l have at
tended two meetings in the past week,
called by the Hon ]. o. Coleman, in
relation to the ordinance introduced by
me relating to the equalizing of the
city licenses. At the last meeting there
was a resolution offered, l believe by c.
z. Adams, hay and grain dealer, that
was championed by A. A. Van Voor-
hies, Charles Luhrs, w. F. Purnell P.
J c. Drescher and w. Z. Peterson, adj
vocating the adjustment of all city
licenses, except saloon and liquor Ii
CenseS, which they claim was carried,
but l don't think there We're one dozen
votes in the whole audience that voted
one way or the other. A committee of
five was appointed to wait on the Board
Of Trustees and inform them that it
was the sense of the meeting that the
licenses should be abolished after the
next tax levy.
Now | must say that l was greatly
surprised at such proposition, for al
most any man of financiering abilities
should see the confusion and results it
will produce. l must respectfully take
issue with these gentlemen, and shall
oppose them in every possible way in
defeating any such business PROPOSE
ton, by my vote, as long as l am a
member of the Board of Trustees and
shall give you the following reasons
why: By abolishing the city retail Ii
| censes, the liquor license excepted, the
W0Ill6 a a
| $4,000 a year; that would necessitate
the raising of that amount from some
other source, and that would mean a
raise Of taxes. My honest opinion and
Judgment is that the homes and all real
estate would be the ones taxed to make
UP the deficiency lost on abolishing the
city licenses. My reason is that the real
estate will have to bear it, as every
person knows it is always before the
! Assessor; it can't move to some other
place the 1st of March, as money goes
away, and merchandise always reduces
| cy that time, but real estate is there in
| full view.
Second-You cannot make one class
| of citizens in business pay a license
and exempt another class; that would
be special legislation; in abolishing all
licenses except the liquor and saloon
| licenses you must abolish all to make
it constitutional; then if you did that,
you would have to add about 20 or 80
per cent. mora to our taxes. You can
not compel the liquor or saloon license
| takers to pay license unless you make
all others do the same
Tnird-If you abolish the merchants
license you will find an influx of fakirs,
peddlers and bankrupt stocks, with
goods from San Francisco and other
places, just after the 1st of March;
they can stay with US six or seven
months without paying any taxes or
license, and that would be a great in
justice to our permanent resident mer-
chants here.
Lastly-I am unalterably opposed to
abolishing Of any part of the city IL
censes, and think we should collect
reasonable license for protection. One
thing do believe, and that is, one man
should have the same advantages as
another in their rates Of taxation. The
present license now in force is discrim-
mating in favor of the large dealers
The ordinance now before the board
viii equalize the system. making the
large firms pay their honest proportion
of license, and will reduce the smaller
dealers that are now paying too much;
al the same time it will be a uniform
rate, the same to all, and no more to
one than another
This is all there is in this agitation
over equalizing the licenses. l thank
you for your forbearance with me in
this matter, and think I have explained
my views in my own plain way.
JAMES G. DAVIS,
City Trustee Third Ward
Sacramento, Feb. Is, 1897.