The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-03-07
WILL NOT TAX
SLOT MACHINES
YET SOME OWNERS HAVE PAID.
ABOUT A DOZEN MACHINE OWNERS
HAVE ALREADY GIVEN UP CASH.

The City After Taking Money from
Some Has Now Decided to Impose
no Tax on Slot Machines-ThOse
Who Have Paid Can Get Their
Money Back Only by Special
Resolution of COuncil-NO Ma
chimes Are to BE Allowed ON
Streets at All.
Although the city has already COL
lected a number of licenses on slot
machines, the city officials have de-
cided not to impose any tax on them.
Those who have already paid are
simply out a small amount of cash,
unless Council sees fit to pass a resolu-
ton giving it back to them. Money
once paid into the city treasury can
not be gotten back, except by order
of Council, and even then there is
some question as to the legality of
such proceeding.
When the slot machine question came
up, about three weeks ago, Mayor Ny
ers instructed Deputy Marshal Hussey
to take a census of all the slot ma
chimes in the city and to collect a dol
lar for each machine. No ordinance
was found to authorize this collection,
but an old resolution, passed several
years ago, was hunted up. 1t was de-
cided that the resolution would do to
proceed on, until an ordinance could
be drafted
The ordinance, it was then under
stood, was to be presented to Council
at the last meeting. Some of the al
dermen kicked on the matter, however.
and in caucus it was decided to let
slot machines severely alone, except to
keep them off the sidewalks. Where
they are in a place of business they
Will not be molested.
why Matter Was Dropped.
There were several reasons for drop
ping the matter. Some said to put a
| license on the machines would in some
| cases be licensing a gambling device.
| Others thought the machines were
merely devices to increase trade, and
should not be taxed, as business
| licenses were paid by the owners of
the places where the machines were
stationed.
The agreement reached was very
chimes, except those who had already
paid the license. In all licenses have
been paid on about a dozen machines.
Only 81 was paid on each machine,
so that no one is a very heavy loser,
but the city have nevertheless received
money as a tax that the aldermen
have now decided not to impose.
Deputy Marshal Hussey is still
working on the slot machine problem,
his Instructions now being merely to
get all machines off the streets. No
licenses will be issued for the ma
chimes at all, and they will under no
circumstances be allowed on the side
walks. There are only a few that are
on the streets, and the deputy mar
shall is now notifying the owners that
they must be taken in.
Machine Owner Missing.
In one case a machine has been To-
Gated for which no owner can be found.
1t is in front of Jones Pharmacy, on
Bull street, but the drug store people
say they do not own it. Mr.. Hussey is
trying to locate the owner. If he fails,
the machine will be hauled to the City
Exchange and held until the owner
shows up.
BY reason of the passage of a law
in South Carolina forbidding the use
Of slot machines, Savannah is now
being flooded with them. There are
more in the city to-day than ever be-
fore In it's history. At several of the
railway freight offices large consign-
ments of the machines have recently
been received from Carolina points,
and it may be that Council will de-
eide to impose special tax of some
sort.