The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-29
BURDEN OF THE FARMER.
Probably UnIavvfuI-The Supreme
Court of Pennsylvania Cited.

supreme
Court of Pennsylvania Cited.
TO the Editor Of the Globe:
To the wrongful conversion of the
valuable fee once possessed by the peo-
pie in the old market house property,
valued at 100000, followed with the at
tempt to purchase with the peoples
money a site wholly unsuited to the
uses to which people usually put a pub
lie market, is added the license fee of
$40 per annum charged the farmer under
the preteXt that he is a "peddler." The
farmer, selling the products of his farm,
is welcome caller at the homes of
many in city like st. Paul. Especially
is this true in the absence of a public
market. The housekeeper considers it a
privilege to deal with the grower for
reasons well known. Most cities make
distinction between these and peddlers.
If it is found that some do not 1t is no
defense for st. Paul. A rule of action
in cases of this kind should be based
upon justice and good sense. In order
to shut out the farmers around st.
Paul from selling the stuff that their
honest toll has produced, that the com
mission men may be ''fostered, this
yearly license is required.
This is helping the commission men to
sell that shipped-in stuff through a sure
enough peddler Why is farmer re-
quired to take out this yearly license
when he can nbt use it but for a short
period of time3 1t is this. 1t is very
well known that a farmer can not afford
to pay this SAG for the short time he
would be using it, and that his small
crop will not Justify him in the outlay
SO to him it is prohibitory This is Just
why it is exacted.
With the-commission mans hawker if ia
easy enough to pay this, as he is selling
under his license every business day of
the year { 1t is protection to him. as il
SHUTS out the farmer. Whatever bene-
hts him helps the man from whom he
puys. This license fee in the absence
OF a central market place is monstrous.
L haven't much before me to refer to-
out L think 1t is generally conceded that
FARMER selling the products of his farm
from ooor-to-door is not a peddler There
are a number of supreme court decisions
IN other states to this effect
Inc supreme court of PENNSYLVANIA
rendered a decision in the early nineties
which 1 have before me. You will oh
serve that In this case the court makes
the distinction.
IN qualification Of its recent dacisio,,
In relation to hucl5sters and nedd1ere ~
supreme court of PENNSYLVANIA on NJ.
H. through Justice Williams deIiVarod
@lio , opinion which discusses the
declaration of rights. accurately ,,iot,,,.ae
the characteristics of the ne9dIer 'u1 n 60
nounces the right Of a farmer ~ Iii
MS own produce from door to door ond
oeIlheS the scope Of the inter-statn con-
merce law. &c coil-
agents under salary selling a product
iio "lIoIactufed by Rhode Island firm
were convicted In Schuylkill county of
peddHng and were fined The s11nra,oa
court decided that the SchuvIlzi1I ao,,, 80
court was right in enforcing the To- w
against these peddlerS. In Dassino ,,no,,
the points raised on behalf of the nod
diers, Justice Williams said: "The nod
uler IS a transient with no fixed n1oca
Oh business, who seeks customers nv in
NduIhS thelr homes and makes sales bv
persuadlng people to buy what thew do
not need and who, by the time he 10
wanted to answer for his Representations
ana engagements, is out Of SIGHT II 10
TINS matter of tracking a Iaboring man ar
woman into tie house and LAYING siepa
to him or her by an unscrupulous and
seI-posSeSsed stranger who is after
money and has no delicate scrupIes about
the manner in which he gets it, that has
made the peddler a dread in the countrv
and in the villages
l do not regard the sale Of the natural
products of the soil by the farmer or
gardener by whom they are raised as az
fected by the laws relating to peddlers
Farmers are not within the mischief
Whlch these laws are intended to remedy,
except as they are the victims of tb9+
mischief The carriage of the s11rn1Ts
products of the farm or garden to a mar
Ket town or from house to house IS not
peddling, but is incidental to their husi-
ness as farmers Peddlers are forbidden
to sell goods, wares and merchandise -
Ihese words were never intended to in
clude farm PR ducts in the hands of tba
farmer; nor is the transportation of such
products to market for sale, or to regu-
lar customers who are supplied by the
grower, the sort of business at which the
laws relating to peddling are directed
The refusal of the city Of st. Paul to
furnish a central market place where the
citizens will meet the producers is bring
Ing these questions up with more to fol-
low. o r Harris