The age-herald., 1899-07-23


 of the stocks of goods on hand on January l, when stocks of goods are largest, was the ridiculously small assessment of $1,O0O,- 0S5.50. This week, when the stocks of goods are smallest, 1t being midsummer, they are insured for $624S, ,550.00, and this under the three-fourths value clause rule, which only permits the merchants to insure up to three-fourths of the value of their stocks. Now, add to this $1,562 1S7.0O for the other one-fourth which they are not allowed to insure, and you will have the sum of T,- S10,6S7.00. Now to this you will have to add at least $1,N0 ,000OO for such merchants as do not insure at all, or such merchants as only insure a portion of their stocks of goods, and you have arrived at the actual value of the stocks of goods, wares, and merchandise kept by the more than five hundred merchants of this city, of $S,Sl0,- 6S7.00. Now compare this with the S1,000,- 000.O0 assessment as above, and you have the enormous difference of nearly $S,0O0,- 0OO.O0 upon which the merchant does not pay any tax to the city whatever.
 Now, in the case of an unforeseen calam- ity of a contlagration, would not the mer- chant find himself very much embarrassed, when attempting to establish the value of his stock of goods, when destroyed; and he is confronted by the insurance company with his statement, made under oath, of the value of his goods, given to the city for taxation? W Would not one of two things be clearly apparent, either the purpose of ''skinning'' the city out of the needful reve- nues So justly due it, or an at tempt to skin" the insurance com pany, in the adjustment of the loss? And will he have sworn the truth, when making oath to the city, that his stock of goods is worth $1,00000, or when making oath in settlement with the insur- ance company that it is worth $S000.00? How will he square himself with his con- science Or to his VarapitV before his peers, or court of justice?
 Were the merchant to pay Gas the real estate man does) even partial tax on this $S, ,000, ,O00.00 you would see difference in the appearance, health, education, fire and police protection of the city. If they only paid tax on one half of this amount, or even on one-fourth of 1t, this would then give the city enough income to properly ex- ist, and furnish it's citizens with those ele- ments necessary for public health and well fare
 Mir Chalifoux, the total assessment is only s, ,0O0, 0OO0O! MT President, if cannot name to a fair-minded committee of three of your own selection, and of your own board of trade ten merchants of this city whose stocks of goods aggregate alone more than this million dollars assessed by all of the five hundred merchants, l am willing to forfeit $5OOO, and if forfeited will give you an order on my rental agent to pay same 10 you out of my this months rents, and to be appropriated by you to such charity as you yourself may select. But. notwithstanding this, MT. Chalifoux, you associate yourself with, and try to defend such great wrong and imposition practiced upon this commit nity, which wrong is looked upon by the people, the financial world and investors with arnazement, and is being criticised most detrimentally and unfavorably.
 Mr. President, those merchants whom you are trying to shield are very much like baf H,rt hat sitting running wa gon which hailed another in it's flight with these words: "Just see how much dust l am making"
 So it is with you, MT. Chalifoux, president of the board of trade. You, too, started out following: "See how much tax we pay; but when have punctured your bubble, I will have convinced all fair-minded men that the "plate glass fronts" pay nothing, and that the liquor people, the professional men and the real estate owners, etc., pay the frenght" and that my comparison be- tween your big store and the little barroom, which you say exists only under 'prohi- bitory liauor license" is not so childish after all; for 1t is that little liquor store ! with its "prohibitory license which you and your board of trade must be very fond of and should encourages and, would no doubt like to have more of them, as they pay for your protection and safety, and for the care and protection of your property, ard the education of your children. For you do not pay it. as the s2O,0Oo which is all in all that all of you merchants not in- cIuding the liquor men, contribute to the revenue andl maintenance of the city, does not pay for. nor does 1t enable the city to keep the streets clean in front of your premises.
 There is no doubt, MT. President that "when the time comes to elect another leg islatiye ticket the merchants will be heard from in a body" for it would be very nice and profitable for them to perpetuate this state of affairs, but the balance of the vot- ers, abused and fooled tax payers, and fax ed public twill also be heard from in body"
 If this statement of truth, facts and fig ures worries you, MT. Chalifoux, or your board of trade, as no doubt 1t will, do not hesitate to come back. and the de- luded public and myself will for give you, for have many more facts and figures yet up my sleeve" which propose from time to time to con- Gde to that astonished public. who look with amazement upon this state of affairs, which has been permitted to go on at their expense, their discomfort and misfortune