The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-04-06
PEDDLERS LICENSE BILL DIES
LEGISLATION KILLS SENATOR
DAUGHERTY'S MEASURE

Judge Willis, on Behalf of the OPP
pOnents, Made Strong Talk
Against Proposed Law Would
Be Impossible to Pay the License.
The house committee on general iegis-
lation last evening killed S. F. 172, by
Senator Daugherty. which provided for
the payment of a license by peddlers In
the organized towns of the state The
bill left it optional with the supervisors
of each town to impose the license but
regulated the fees at 81 per day, $40 per
month, or $50 per year.
Senator Daugherty said the bill was de-
manded by the merchants IN the mining
towns in the northern part Of the state
and also by other merchants who had
business destroyed by peddlers who came
into the towns and sold goods, paying no
license or taxes. The bill had been care
fully drawn and pronounced constitution
al in that it was left to the supervisors
of each town as to whether 1t should be
adopted. The only objection to the bill
seemed to be from Minneapolis and st.
Paul, which would not be in the least
affected t'7sr So s.% -
Mr.. Fosnes (Union), of Chippewa, sug-
gested that it be made to apply only to
counties of 100 900 or more, and this would
take in St. Louis county where the re-
quest had been made for the passage of
the bill The author of the bill did not
care to have it amended, claiming that
this question had been decided against
and would affect the legality of the bill
Judge J. w. Willis. of st. Paul. spoke
against the passage of the bill, which he
declared was not demanded by the pub.
lie. but by a special interest demanding
privileges 1t was aimed at legitimate
business and would prevent hundreds OF
honest and energetic people from obtain
Ing livelihood. 1t was not in the nature
OF tax measure, but an attempt to op-
crate under the police powers of the
state. The bill was absolutely prohibit
tory 1t would make it difficult to secure
license and the rates were too high
requiring license In each town and in
some counties there were fifty towns
which would make it impossible for
peddler to pay the license. The supreme
court had held that to make a license
hold under the. police powers of the state
1t must be reasonable. The business of
peddling was legitimate one, and If the
peddlerS sold goods in ST. Louis county
to miners. why did not the merchants do
the same. All laws which sought to shut
out some one from doing business were
in the interests of a class as against the
consumers or others engaged In the same
line of business. A bill of the kind
should be aimed at abuses in order to
make 1t come within the police powers of
the state. There was no claim made that
the peddlers had done anything wrong
the only claim being that storekeepers
should be protected.
Mr.. finland Dem) of RAMSEY said
the bill was special legislation. and the
license was prohibi1ve. Many of the
most prominent business men of the state
had started in peddling, and the only
reason that any engaged in the business
now was that they could not afford to
rent a store.
Mr.. Nelson CRep.) Of Hennepin, opposed
the bill on the ground that it would
drive large number of men out of en-
ployment, and his opinion was uncon-
stitutional.
j. l.. Freedman and J. Gold, peddlers of
Minneapolis. opposed the bill for the
reason that it was a one-sided affair.
The bill was recommended for indefinite
postponement by vote of to g. Those
faVoring the killing of the bill being
Messrs O'Connor, Donofue Simonson.
Dwinnell. Jackson, Sloan and Nelson.
n. o. Those fa2oring the passage of
the bill Were MessrS. Fosnes I,aybourn
and O'Neill.
The bill of Mr. Hill Dem) of LWfnona.
requiring vendors of patent medicine to
pay a county license of $50 was recon-
mended for indefinite postponement.
H T. SIS providing for the appointment
by the governor Of a state board of cleo
tricity to license persons engaged In cleo
trical work was referred to the delega-
items from Ramsey, Hennepin and ST.
Louis counties