The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-27
VEHICLES MUST HAVE BADGES.
POLICE CALLED ON TO HELP COL
LECT THE LICENSE.

MPny Vehicles Taken to the City
Treasurer's Office, Where the own
ers Were Required to Produce
Badges, or Buy Them-A Repetition
of the Trouble the City Experi-
ences Yearly Collecting This Rev
enue-The Amount Realized An
nuaIIy From This Source Is About
$1,000, But Lax Laws Makes 1t Diff
cult to Collect.
1t looked yesterday as if somebody had
opened a livery stable around the city
exchange. There was a continual stream
of vehicles the entire day, and each was
accompanied by policeman, who had
held up the driver for not having a license
badge.
City Treasurer Hardee took in a good
sum, and from the number that have not
yet obtained badges, the amount will
doubtless be doubled to-day. The crusade
by the police is the same the city under
takes every year, in order to collect the
tax on vehicles when the owners decline
to pay until they are forced to do so.
The fact there are scores of vehicles
running in the city without paying the re-
quired linceee was recently called to the
attention of Mayor Meldrim, who decided
to nave the police arrest all drivers found
without them. Wagons, carts, trucks and
other vehicles began rolling up to the
treasurer's Office in the forenoon, and this
continued untn closing time. 1t was not
only the driver who lives alone by the
uUa Int
by big concerns were also taken there, No
excuse was accepted, as the treasurer
wanted nothing less than a badge, or the
price the city asks for it,
The license for one-horse wagon is SO.
tWo-horse $12. and three-horse SIS. A one
morse mack is Sc, and two-horse 49, and a
ohe-horse dray or truck is 49, The tax on
a push cart is $100, which seems rather
high for the business they do. but by ne
utlon OF dealers this tax was run I'D from
SSO some time ago, as the carts had become
so numerous, the dealers claimed. they
could do no business themselves. The
peddlers ran up In front of stores, took
STANDS near the door, and remained there
during the busy part of the day. Persons
knowing no better thought the cart be-
longed TO the store, and the nuisance be-
came such there was a rebellion against
them. 1t was thought the high tax would
run them out altogether, but four or five
remain, all of which have badges. The
license amounts to little more than rent,
and as the peddlers get 10 per cent dis
count by paying either in January or
July, tire burden is not so heavy on them
after ali.
With the owners of all vehicles, except
pleasure vehicles, however, the license
must be paid or the outfits will be lodged
in the police barracks. The general COM
plant with those caught outright yester-
day was that they had obtained badges,
but lost them. This excuse is not taken
however, for the reason the treasurer is
authorized to receive no other evidence Of
payment During a former adminstra-
ton drivers who lost their badges were
given a certificate from the treasurer's Of
nee, and when approached by an officer
produced it as evidence of payment But
it did not take long to find the certificates
were rapidly decreasing this part of the
citys revenue, as drivers claimed they lost
their badges, when the truth was they
had sold them. The plan did not work
as two drivers got the benefit of one badge.
No excuse is taken now, and if the badge
cannot be found the city requires an
other.
The tax on vehicles amounts to about
$1,000 annually, but it is always impossi-
BILE to collect it without the cooperation
OF the police. Once they get after the
drivers, all are found who have not paid
the license, and they are compelled to do
so, under penalty of fine in the police
court. 1t is expected most all will have
obtained badges by night though there
will doubtless be a few who will hold on
to the last.
'There is defect in this law" said an
officer yesterday. THE delinquents should
not be allowed to settle with the treasurer
when caught, but should be taken before
the Recorder and fined. When this Is done
few times, there viii be none of this
holding back, but those liable for the tax
will pay to save being fined. There is no
reason now for them TO settle until
caught, as they can try to escape, and If
they run into the police, the only penalty
is to pay"
CARRIERS CASE SOON SETTLED.