The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-16
VEHICLE LICENSES DOUBLED.
Police Raid the Streets for Wagons
without Badges.

WltnOuN limoges.
The delivery business in Savannah was
temporarily interfered with by the police
yesterday. who had instructions 10 take
all vehicles without badges TO the city
exchange, where they were held until the
owners had them released by purchasing
a badge Of City Treasurer Hardee. 1t kept
the clerical force busy all day dealing out
badges. and making explanations as to
the double taxing.
Being caught was not the only lesson
the vehicle owners got. BY an ordinance
passed at the last Council it is provided
that owners who fail to obtain badges at
the proper time shall be double taxed, and
as this was imposed on all alike, the pen
ally for failing to comply with the law
promises to have a lasting effect. 1t Is
estimated that something like 5000 was
taken In during the day, each owner pay
ing just twice what the law prescribes for
those who settled at the proper time.
At noon the vicinity of the exchange
presented a busy scene. Around the en-
trance and for 100 feet on either side were
wagons in custody of the police. The en-
tire force had received instructions before
starting on their beats to watch for We
hicles without badges and to send them
10 the exchange There was constant
stream pouring in all day. and no sooner
was one released than another took its
place.
The section of the tax ordinance regu-
lating the Transporting of merchandise or
passengers for hire, provides that every
person employing one horse cart or
wagon shall pay So; every person employ
ing one-horse dray or truck, IS; every per-
son employing one-horse cab, hack or
buggy, or vehicles of any description not
otherwise mentioned, Sc; every person en-
ploying one two-horse cart or wagon, dray
or truck, $12: every person employing one
two-horse cart or wagon, dray or truck,
$l2; every person employing one two-horse
cab, hack, buggy, omnibus. carriage or
vehicle of any description, IS; every person
employing one three-horse dray or truck,
SIS: every person employing one four-horse
dray or truck, $25; every person employing
one four-horse omnibus, $50, and the tax
to be paid by any person employing more
than one vehicle of the same or different
kinds shall be according to the number of
vehicles employed at the rate above speci-
fed"
Unless there is a prompt response to-
day, 1t Is stated the police will probably
catch about the same number. There are
no records at the treasurers Office to show
the fact but 1t is believed there are still
many vehicles for which badges have rot
been obtained. The only record the city
gets is when the owners pay the license.
The most the treasurer received from one
man yesterday was S72, which was
double tax on six one-horse drays. AS the
defaulter is a well-known and reliable cit
izen, his story that he had forgotten TO pay
the license was readily accepted, but
there was no alternative for the treasurer
but to collect the tax. He had no discre-
ton about RENTING the penalty portion.
''Thre are many who dodge this license
with the hope of running the gauntlet"
said an official at is common for some
to operate a half dozen wagons, and take
out badges for three or four of them.
When they are caught by the police
badge is torn from a wagon which escaped
and presented to the treasurer as evidence
that the license was paid and that the
owner had only neglected to place the
badge on the wagon. This was pracuced
to such an extent that the only acceptable
explanation was the badge Itself"
A majority of the cabs are on the
streets only at night, so that it may be
difficult to catch them. The treasurers
office is not kept open at night, and for
this reason it may be necessary to vest au-
thority in an officer at the police barracks
to collect the license and give out badges.
1t is expected that all revenues from this
source viii be collected within the next
few days, and those who have not been
heard from will likely be picked up by
the police at any time. There are many
who have allowed the matter to slip their
minds, however, without any effort to de-
fraud the city