The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1903-05-28
BOOMING PINE BLUFF.
Unique scheme to Advertise North
Carolina Town.

UNIQUE Scneme 10 advertise a North
Carolina Town.
Pine Bluff, N. c., is probably the only
town in the United States that has an
official press agent and that realizes
fully the value of advertising its re-
sources, says the New York Evening
Telegram. The citizens got together
and drafted a bill authorizing the
town commissioners of Pine Bluff,
Moore county, N. c., to provide neces-
sary funds for advertising the town as
a desirable resort"
This bill was sent to the general as
sembly at Raleigh, with a petition
which is as progressive in spirit as the
measure itself is unique in general
tenor. The petition reads:
It is our purpose to do all we can to
bring into your state only desirable and
worthy settlers from our former homes,
people with whom we have been associ-
ated and know to be good men and wonn-
en-, and the purport of this bill is to en-
able us to evenly tax ourselves according
to what we will gain by the bringing in
OF visitors and settlers. Your and our
worthy governor, Mr.. G. 3. Aycock, has
shown us the honor Of visiting and adj
dressing our people, and he can tell you
Of what we are trying to do to help up
one of the unsettled portions Of North
Carolina. We desire to say the tax thatwill
fall upon our own selves and those we
get to come to our town will not be a
burden but a blessing to the people in
the country outside of our town. Much
Of the money we bring in goes to the
farmers, mechanics and laborers within
a radius Of twenty miles, and it is, per-
haps not amiss for US to call your at
tentton to the fact that the new settlers
in this section of Moore county are even
now paying more than one-eighth of the
county and state taxes and we are glad
we are able to contribute so much, espe-
cially the school taxes, and we will be
glad to contribute more to the general
school work.
With such petition before them the
legislature had no alternative but to
act, and it did so favorably. And this
is how the advertising fund is raised:
All taxable property in the town,
5 cents on every 500 Of valuation;
every male citizen and every female
property owner pays poll of ID
cents annually; merchants are assess
ed 4 cents on every 500 worth of
stock carried; hotels and boarding
houses pay 5 per cent on gross receipts,
and livery stables the same; doctors,
lawyers, dentists, nurses INCLUDING
those giving massage or any special
treatment or seryice), laundries, laun-
dry workers, coal and wood dealers,
butchers, dairymen, hucksters and
fresh meat dealers, bakers, BARRIERS,
bootblacks, newsdealers, shows, lee
lures and entertainments of any kind
for profit, billiard tables and games of
all kinds, 5 per cent of all gross re-
ceipts.
An income tax has been declared I'M
constitutional by the United States su-
preme court, but the citizens Of Pine
Bluff are willing to pay one, and there
fore 'sall incomes earned within the cor
porate limits of the town pay 2 per
cent thereof where income exceeds 81
a day. The employer of any person
may be held liable for the income taxes
Of employees if written notice is
served on him that he or she is liable
for tax due by those whom they en-
ploy to the extent due from said en-
ployer to said employee"
Ten per cent is collected on all gross
sales of real estate. The entire amount
raised by this special tax is to be
placed in the hands of a subcommittee
Of commissioners and expended for adj
vertising purposes. The idea is said
to be unique, but entirely within the
limits of the state law, and, SO far as
is known, there is no local opposition to
the scheme.