The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-19
CHANGES IN TAX ORDINANCE.
VIII Cost More to Play Horses and
Deal in Futures Next Year.

VIII Cost More to Play Horses and
Deal in Futures Next Year.
The City Council, after spending some
time in consideration of the budget and
tax ordinance In caucus last night, met in
open session, and the tax ordinance and
budget for 1900 were adopted. Several
changes were made In the existing tax
ordinance. In fact, It Is understood that
the most interesting of these changes were
not made until the final consideration of
the ordinance.
The pool rooms must pay 81 800 to do bus
mess next year. The effort to prohibit pool
rooms altogether having failed, an effort
was made to have the license Increased 90
5000 from ZOO. The figure agreed upon is
believed to have been a compromise.
Brokers or agents buying and selling
futures on a margin must pay $500 here
after instead of 500. This increase is be-
lieved to have grown incidentally out of
the pool room fight, it being claimed in
some quarters that buying pools on races
and dealing in futures did not differ es-
sentlally in character. One of the alder
men raised the point last night that there
was no reason why the bucket shops
should not pay liberal license and the in
creased figure was agreed to with but lit
tie discussion. The aldermen discovered
somewhat to their surprise that one of the
best known and most lucrative business in
the city has been conducted for years
without paying a cent of revenue in the
way of special tax into the city treasury.
AS it is, the city's policy to exact tax
for the privilege of doing business from
every class Of trade this oversight was
promptly remedied by placing a tax of SOD
per annum on the lighterage and transfer
business.
Every member of Council deserves a
chrome for including in the tax ordinance
a provision requiring that every vehicle
used for advertising purposes and using a
bell or gong or other noise producing
instrument on the city streets shall pay
a license of $100 per annum and that every
push cart or barrow used In the same man
ner for advertising purposes shall pay a
license Of SIS per annum. This tax is
regarded as practically prohibltive, and
1t is believed will put stop to a nuisance
which has long been complained of.
Concert halls must pay $780, instead of
$50, a year hereafter.
The license for brokers and dealers in
cattle and horses was raised from 81 10
- Ticket scalpers were tossed a plum
their tax being reduced from 500 to $50.
Dealers in paints. oils and building sun
plies must pay SIS.
The tax upon street railroad companies
Is the same as for the present year, being
500 for each mile of streets used by their
tracks, double tracks and switches not
being included in the calculation. The
street railway company has not paid this
tax Tor the present year, an appeal hav-
ing been taken to the Superior Court on
the ground of excessive taxation.
The liquor taxes remain the same. whole
sale dealers and brokers being taxed 1000
with the privilege OF the 10 per cent. dis
count, while retail dealers are taxed s200
year net, but are allowed to give notes
for quarterly payments with interest at
the rate of per cent. A change in the
section relating to the transfer of licenses
requires that all indebtedness to the CITY
upon any license, sought to be transferred
must be paid before a transfer will be per
mitted
The tax ordinance, with the execution
of the changes named, Is the same as pre-
vious ordinances. 1t Is quite a lengthy
document, every business known TO the
aldermen to be conducted in the CITY. and
some which have long since ceased TO be
conducted here, having its special license
placed upon it. and the ordinance fnclud-
ing besides many clauses and provisions
intended 10 leave no loophole by which
the taxpayer can escape. There are be-
tween 1000 and 100 special taxpayers Of
all grades in the city and quite a revenue
is derived from this source. The tax on
real and personal property remains at las.