The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-02-09
PAGES GOOD RECORD.
Has Collected Nearly $500 a
Month in License.

In spite Of the fact that Topeka s
new license ordinance has been fierce
ly attacked and considerably shot to
pieces, the present year is going TO
from licenses.
License Collector Page has turned in
an average of $475 a month for the
past nine months. For the correspond
ing nine months in 1902 the average was
1892; for the same in 1901, $424.
License Collector Page took Office in
May, l9O3 and the new ordinance was
passed just at the beginning of that
year. From May to January, inclusive.
MI Page has collected 81, 2S3. go. Under
the old license law License Collector
Forbes collected $3,53O29 from May,
i9o2, TO January, 1903, inclusive. From
May, 1901. to January, 1902, Mr.. Forbes
collected $3.S16.65.
II Mr.. Page keeps up his present rate
OF $4f5 MONTH he will have turned in
during the year the sum of 3d. 700, which
IS considerably larger than has ever
been collected from licenses before.
The new license law provides that
each express company shall pay $100,
each telegraph company 500 and each
opera house 800. The Postal Telegraph
IS the only one OF the lot which has
PAID up and Mr.. Page says he will
Drlng suit to collect this years license
within a few days. The amount due
from these sources is as follows:
Well-Fargo Express Co.......S1 500
dCluC Express Co.. 100
Y. > Express Co -............. 100
Western Union Telegraph Co... 100
Grand opera house. Observation-Disclosures. 100
Crawford opera house 100
Total Observation-Disclosures. 5000
None of the above companies paid
their license for the year 1903, so they
are each liable for last years license
as well as the license for this year
making total of ST, 200 which will be
involved in the outcome of the pro-
posed litigation
Some of the important features of
the license ordinance have been repeal
ed. The license on installment houses
was repealed. This was $40 a year, and
was only paid by one or two of the in
stallment houses. The heavy tax on
hucksters was materially reduced. The
provisions for tax of $40 a day on
agents soliciting orders for future de-
livery was declared unconstitutional by
the city attorney and has not been en-
forced. The tax on ticket brokers was
fixed so high that they all quit bust
ness. There were three paying a IL
cense under the old law. On Septem-
Der 1, a heavy license was imposed on
billiard halls, and it has been knocked
l the billiard hall revenue has been nil
UNJUST TO POOR MEN
THE worst provision of the present
license law" said License Collector
T age tOudy, IS the provision requiring
a license from drivers of express wag-
ons. The license is fixed at SO a year,
and it is heartless for the city to make
some of those poor old fellows pay that
much. They can't afford it. I under
stand that this provision of the ordin-
ance was put in for the purpose of
driving some of these small express
wagons out of business, and guess it
will do it. We collect tax on about 80
express wagons. The big ones can af-
ford it, but it comes terribly hard on
the poor old men who have nothing in
the world, perhaps, except their Old
horse and wagon. 1t is not a just pro-
vision of the law, because it is so Sc
we're or tho poor men,.
The city council cut down the license
on hucksters because it was apparent
that the high license had been put
there by the grocers for the purpose of
driving the hucksters out of business.
If the expressmen have any complaint.
they ought to make it known to the
council