The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-07
STAMPS MUST GO
The City Council Passes a
License Ordinance.
Putting a Fee on the Trading
Stamp Scheme
OF $4,000 PER YEAR.
Street Fakirs and Managers of
Bankrupt Sales
Must Also Contribute Literally
or Quit Business.
IF $4,000 PER YEAR.

meeting OF the c1Iy council w eOueSOdy
evening.
The principal feature of the ordinance
is the prohibitive tax imposed on the
premium stamp business. The license
fee will be $4,000 per year annum.
Bankrupt and fake sales are
taxed $4,000 per annum.
Fee buyers will have to pay a. tax Of
800 per annum or quit business.
Itinerant doctors and street fakirs
who sell medicines viii be taxed 800 a
day.
Circuses must pay $3.50 a day for the
privilege of showing in Topeka
Nearly everything else is left as it
was in the old ordinance.
Maj. J. E. Dallas was at the meeting
to speak on behalf of the premium
stamp business. He begged the coun-
ell to not make the tax prOhibi He
said it was evidently the purpose of the
ordinance to tax the business out of the
city. IF the business is not legiti-
mate" said he, 1.-The council should pass
an ordinance making it a penal Offense.
mat is the natural way OF proceeding.
| This ordinance is urged for passage by
merchants who cannot get into the
scheme
Councilman EIliott-Why can they
not get in?
Mr.. DalIas-Because it would be no
advantage if all used the stamps.
Mr.. ElliOtt-DOn't you call that a
fraud?
Mr.. Dallas-No, I do not
Councilman Elliott-Well I do, and I
can't see that it is anything else.
D. J. GreenWald-I want to correct a
statement made by Mr.. Dallas. These
people went before the license commit
tee and said that any one could get in.
Nearly every merchant in the city is
represented on the petition presented
here and many of them use the stamps.
| They say these people pay taxes here
and I find that last year they paid 81. 40.
| The naOnIa ba
| people who pay the taxes.
Abe Steinberg-They say that this
! business is being fought by merchants
! who can't get in. I want to say that
can get in at any time and not only
that, but they have offered to bride
| me to quit fighting and they not only
| offered me stamps for nothing but
would give me bonus to use them.
| J. F. NcManus-Nany merchants who
! use stamps are on the petition.
Councilman Mergan-It seems to me
| that this is not a legal business and
! that therefore we should have nothing
! to do with it.
Mayor FelIows-Do you want an ex-
| ecutiVe session to discuss this matter?
! Councilman Burgess-I understood
| this matter was to be postponed and in
! the meantime we could call an execu-
! tive session and discuss it. I don't
want to stay here all night.
| Councilman ElIiOtt-Let US dispose Of
/ it at once. 1t won't take long.
| Mayor F'ellOws-DO you want an ex-
| ecutive session, gentlemen?
| Councilman ROundtree-I don't.
Mayor Fellows-The clerk will read.
The ordinance was then read section
! by section and adopted without amend
| ment.
An effort was made to have the pre-
/ MUM stamp license reduced to $1,000
! but the motion was withdrawn
| The vote on the ordinance was:
! Aye-Benson, Burgess, Blossom,
/ Drew, Elliott, Roundtree, Warner.
| NO-Mergan, Skinner.
Begging For Dupree.
J. T. Ward, attorney for George Du-
| pree, jointist, made a written request
! that a case against Dupree for main
! tanning nuisance now pending in the
! district court be ordered dismissed.
! Dupree claims that he was tried twice
for the same OffenSe in police court and
| appealed one of the cases.
! The communication was first ordered
| filed but Councilman Morgan moved
| that the request be granted.
Before a vote was taken, by motion
! of Councilman ROundtree, the docu-
ment went to the committee on judic-
/ larry.
Walk Too High.
L. B. Merrick, who owns a house at
! the corner of Second and Taylor street
! wants the council to restore the old
! grade in front of his property. He says
| that he raised his house to correspond
with the old grade and now the new
walk has been laid on a, fill. He says
that his property is greatly damaged
! thereby.
The communication was referred to
| the committee on streets and walks.
North Topeka Sewer.
| A resolution introduced by Council
/ man Benson defining the boundaries of
! the new sewer district in the First ward
/ was adopted. The resolution places the
/ North Topeka sewer in a position
! where the opponents may make a for
| NAL protest. If there is no objection
/ within 20 DAYS the sewer will be ordered
/ built and the contract awarded.
Election Commissioners.
Under the new police regime the
/ board of election commissioners as it
| has existed is abolished. It was com
/ posed of the board of police commits
( siOners and the commissioner of cleo
J tions. Commissioner Yount recon-
/ mended the appointment of a new
! board to be made up of the following
| councilmen:
First ward-J. W. Blossom.
Second ward-A. P. Benson.
Third ward-D. J. Dickinson
| Fourth Ward-James Burgess
Fifth ward-Fred Roundtree.
The recommendations were adopted.
Work of City Officers.
The following collections by city Off
| GERS were reported for the month of
| June, except the report of License Col
lectOr Bailey which includes the months
| of May and June:
S. P. Hawkins, dump master, SIS. 90.
o. A Peck, weigh master, $500.
T. N. Mcclure, weigh master, S11.70.
| $177.O4.
L. c. Bailey. license collector. 1895. 80.
No Lake Street Bridge Now.
The committee on ways and means
| recommended that the question of build
| ing a new bridge across Shunganunga