The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-10
new LICENSE
TAX ORDINANCE
1T Is VERY COMPLETE AND
EXHAUSTIVE.
Every Business and Person Not AL
ready Paying a State Mercantile
Tax Is Taxed in One Way or An
other-Big Corporations Taxed Ac-
cording to Their Gross Receipts
Contractors Rated According to
Business s-Thirty-three Provisions
for Disposition of Receipts.

me license tax ordinance prepared
by city Solicitor Watson. approved by
Former Recorder Nloir and introduced
IN select council last Thursday night
by Councilman Cosgrove. of the Four
teenth ward, is the most complete ana
exhaustive ordinance of its kind ever
introduced In the councils of this city.
Every person and every business
that could possibly he taxed with any
degree of fairness is included IN it's
provisions. Merchants who are taxed
under the state mercantile tax law are,
OF course, not included. but all others
are. The measure has been referred to
the license committee. which will meet
some night this week to consider it.
1t is very generally predicted that its
promoters have an uphill fight ahead
of them and that il it ever gets
through councils it will not be until it
is very much amended.
AS mentioned some weeks ago in the
Tribune. the ordinance provides for a
tax of five per cent. of the gross re-
ceipts Of gas. water and street rail-
way companies. 1t imposes a tax of
two per cent, upon the gross receipts
Of telegraph. telephone, electric light.
electric heat and power and steam
neat companies.
BANKS AND BANKERS.
Private banks and bankers are taxed
500. pawnbrokers. 500: money brok-
ers, 500; brokers, $50, and stock brok-
ers, So. Theatres or halls having
seating capacity of 1000 or over in
which public entertainments are given
are taxed 500: those having a seating
capacity of from $500 to 900 are taxed
so. while those with seating ca
racity of less than 500 are taxed $50.
This is not intended to include halls in
which society entertainments. etc, are
exclusively given.
The keepers of pool and billiard ta-
bles are taxed $40 per table and the
keepers of bowling alleys. $40. Auc-
tloneers are taxed according to the VOL
ume of their business. as shown in the
following schedule: Under $25 900, s2a:
from $25,0O0 to $4,000. $50 from $50. 900
to $4,000. s15; from $4,000 to slOO. 900,
$780, and the sum of s25 for each s25,-
600 or major fraction thereof over $780,
900.
Contractors are also taxed according
to the amount of business done every
year. The tax imposed is So for each
contractor and S. for each additional
$4,000 worth of business done over
$4,000. The aggregate tax not to ex-
coed the sum of $3.50 in any one year
Butchers are taxed so. as are also
hucksters. who may sell upon the
streets any fresh fish. fruit or vegeta-
bles not of their own raising. Push
cart peddlers are taxed $40, as are also
the prop"ietors of peanut, fruit and
stn 1,n,
dors of merchandise in the city streets.
All merchants not taxed under the
mercantile tax law are taxed s..
ON TRANSFERS.
The tax upon teamsters, draymen
and liverymen is arranged according
to the following schedule: Draws, So;
carts. 81; one horse wagons, 81: hacks,
80: one horse carriages, 50: two horse
carriages, 81; two horse wagons So
four horse wagons, $40; omnibuses. $40.
Sales agents selling goods by sample
Tor merchants or firms not doing busi-
ness in the city are taxed 500. This
is not intended to include commercial
travellers, but merely those merchants
who rent an office and make perma-
nent headquarters of the city, selling
a line of samples. 1t will be a salts
faction to many, perhaps, to know that
all book agents, male and female, are
taxed so.
Lumber dealers, both wholesale and
retail, are taxed SO. Real estate
agents or persons who make a business
of collecting rents for commission
are taxed $40, as are also fire insur-
cident insurance agents are taxed SO,
while resident life and accident insur-
ance agents are let off with nominal
tax of 81. Industrial insurance agents
and collectors are also taxed 81.
Vendors of patent medicines who
may offer their goods for sale on the
streets of the city are taxed $40 for the
privilege OF so doing. Museums are
taxed $40. Circuses are required to
pay 800 for license and when COM
hned with menagerie the sum of 5000
Is required. Animal shows are taxed |
$50, Advertising agencies are taxed |
$40,
LIABLE TO FINE.
Persons failing to take out a license |
are liable to arrest and fine of not less !
than 50 nor more than 500, or in de- |
fault thereof Imprisonment for term |
not to exceed thirty days. The ordin- |
ance provides that fifty per cent. of |
the revenues derived shall be used in |
paying off judgments against the city |
IN the order of their priority. Twenty !
hNe per cent, is TO be used in improv-
ing the fire department and the other
twenty-five per cent. in the purchase |
of such incidentals for the several de-
lartmentS as emergency may reuuire |
The ordnance, according to its pres
ent wording, is To go into effect on |
July |, If passed in time, that date to
be made the beginning of the license
year.
The popular Punch cigar is still the