The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-08
THE CIRCUS TAX.

Augusta will be the only Georgia town
to see the circus this year, and in al
probability for a number of years, until
the state circus tax law has been changed.
Aususta's proximity 10 South Carolina ac-
counts for that city's privilege of going to
see the elephants In South Carolina they
believe in the homely but true old proverb
that all work and no play makes Jack
dun boy; therefore they are willing TO per
nit the circus to come along and amuse
Jack, and his sisters and his cousins ana
his aunts; also his male relations. But
on this side OF the river we have adopted
a circus tax law which 5 prohlbitory. The
travelling tent shows must, therefore, keep
out OF the state There are extremely few
of them, If any at all. that can afford to
pay 900 day for the privilege of show
ing in cities OF 1900 or more population,
800 per day for showing in towns of 5000
Inhabitants. and $500 per day in smaller
towns sim, that is the law.
1t may be doubted that the legislators
intended to Kill the goose that laid the
golden circus tax egg when they passed
that law. There are certain things when
some folks seem to think may be taxed to
any length and that they must stand il;
and the circus is one of them. The heavy
taxes were advocated on the ground that
each circus takes a big pile of money out
of the community in which it exhibits, and
that therefore it would be good policy to
make the circus give up as much money
as possible in return for the privilege of
exhibiting But the circuses are not Civ
ing up any money to Georgia. They can
not come here. The rate has been fixed 80
high that IL shuts them out The treasury
is getting no revenues from this former
source of income, and the people are de-
MED pleasures which every healthy Amer
lean has enjoyed or looks forward to en-
ioying. The desire to see the circus Is
natural desire, and is experienced by
every civilized youth
1t is a mistake to suppose that, from
financial point of view, the circus takes
all and gives nothing. Many cities and
towns spend thousands of dollars to get
up a fair for the purpose of inducing peo-
pie to visit those cities and towns. The
circus is within itself a fair, and every
community that is visited by it is given
at least a one-day fair OF exceptional
drawing power The event is advertised
for a month or more in advance, and when
the day comes people pour into the place
from a radius of twenty and sometimes
forty miles. And practically every person
from distance who visits the town leaves
more or less money in it. The price of his
circus ticket is far from being all, or even
a half, of what he spends on circus day.
The circus itself Is forced to spend
money. Owing to the nature of things 1t
is impossible for the company to carry
large stocks of supplies. 1t commonly de-
pends for its sustenance upon the com
munity in which it stops; and no small
amount of provender is required for sew
eral hundred persons and as many horses
and other animals The circus. indeed,
puts money into circulation wherever it
goes It Is claimed by one of the profess
sion that the money upon which the cir
Gus most largely draws is not that which
| is employed in business or is needed for
the necessaries of life, but it is money
which is idle, inactive and withdrawn
from circulation by its owners at least
temporarily. IL is money which has been
lalu dSlue LOT tile especial purpose VI pay
ing for some sort of amusement or diver
sion This, it is said, is particularly true
in the case of those who live in the coun-
try They lay aside odd change from time
to time against circus day, OF the occasion
of a visit to the city, when il is their
pleasure and purpose to spend it for
amusement. And there is nothing which
will draw these small hoardings from their
hiding places and put them into circula-
ton again more surely than the advent
of the elephants and the bareback riders,
Under the operations of the prohibtory
Georgia law, much of this surplus money
tfat is owned in Georgia counties conven-
lent to South Carolina, Alabama, Florida
and Tennessee circus towns win be turned
loose in those states.