The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-02-10
TAX ORDINANCE
PASSED OVER VETO.
CONTINUED from First page)

PA55EU UvER VEIU
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January 16 1906. and which was amended
by the Board of Aldermen January q,
1906, and further amended by the Board
OF Aldermen January Is, 1906 and con-
Cured In by the omnon Council January
80, 1906.
Approval OF this ordinance is withheld
for the following reasons:
i. Section IL (a), opens with the words
Express telegraph and telephone compa-
MES having II place of busineas In the
city" This MAY mean that each tele-
graph and each telephone company shall
pay tho tax specified, or it MAY mean
that only those companies which are a.. II
telegraph and telephone companies, shall
pay 1t. The same words telegraph and
telephone" occur In the latter part OF the
same section and are open to the sans
objection.
with the words Electric lighting and
power companies having the privilege Of
doing business in the city SHALL etc,
etc. doubt exceedingly whether an ele,-
trio LIGHTING plant which did not
furnish power, or an electric POWER
plant which did not furnish light. could
be taxed under this language, which seems
to mean that in order TO be taxed the
company must be in the business of fur
Can't Determine.
.. Section o, declares that no. license
shall be required for the sale of liquors
by apothecaries on the prescription OF q
LICENSED" physician. / am unable 10
determine by any means In my power.
whether this means n man licensed BY
IT.. Sff 4
practice his profession, or whether 1t
means a man licensed by the city of Rich
mond, under this ordinance to practice
medicine. II the latter is meant, then
druggists cannot sell liquor on y pre-
scription AT ALL. because the city does
not in this proposed law, require or de-
ntand any licensing of physicians.
4. BY the amendment of section 81. the
following words WHICH WERE IN TnE
ORIGINAL DRAFT OF THE oRD1-
NANCE have been sticken out: "Or for
any show. performance or exhibition.
named in section II, of this chapter" The
result of this erasure, Is to deprive the
city Of the services of ANY ONE
VESTED WITH THE RIGHT OF SU.
PERvISION OF ANY OF that numerous
class of lowgrade, shows performances
and exhibitions mentioned in subsection
(b) of section IA, as well as those of u
higher grade described as public thea
ters, skating Kinks, and rooms used for
public exhibitions. The erasure of these
words ALSO RENDERS VOID THE
PENALTY inflicted by section 81.
). Section Z fixes the license tax of Junk
dealers at $4,000, instead of at $4,000. AS
PROVIDED IN THE ORIGINAL oRDi-
NANCE. Section fixes the license tax
of pawnbrokers at $4,000 instead of at
$4,000, AS PROVIDED IN THE ORIGI-
NAL ORDINANCE.
The high license required of pawnbrok-
ers and junk dealers. In sections Z and
s, of the original draft of ordinance.
was fixed with the view of decreasing the
number of such places, and by reducing
the number, facilitating police supervi
sion of those places, which make the con-
version of stolen goods into cash easy and
comfortable.
1t is plain that by the amendment which
grasses certain words in section Il, and by
the reduction OF licenses mentioned In
sections and S, the rigidity and effective
ness of police supervision AT THREE
POINTS WHERE II Is ESSENTIAL, has
been greatly relaxed, If NOT PRACTI-
CALLY DESTROYED.
Has No Desire for Power.
The Mayor has no desire for power, but
is jealous of the destruction of those pro-
visions of the present law, which were
| intended for the protection, mainly, of
| the morals and character of the youth
of this city, and is unwilling to part
| with this power for good. WHICH is
NOT EVEN TRANSFERRED To
| c>1'IER HANDS, BUT AN7-L--.rED.
The ordinance. as it is presented, and
as 1t has been amended gives to large
class of undesirable exhibitions, shows or
| forms of entertainment, the right to pur-
chase immunity for the price of license,
and if they are not thus given unre-
strained license. they are at least fur
! nished with an effective argument TO
| PROVE THAT THE CITY HAS DELHI
| ERATELY ABANDONED THE RIGHT
OF SUPERVISION heretofore exercised
| by the Mayor.
| 6. The enacting clause, contains in Sec
| ton IS, declaring this ordinance to be
in force ION and after February l. 1906"
should probably be amended SO as to read
ION and after its approval by the Mayor"
The fact that the ordinance declares In
the last sentence of section that. "the
provisions of this ordinance shall apply
to- the taxes for the year 1906 and every
year thereafter" will, in nay opinion. and
in the, opinion of the City Attorney,
make the terms 1t contains applicable, af-
ter approval to the whole fiscal year of
1906, and effective as to assessment of
taxes as Of February 1, 1906.
u. tlnally; II any man should say that
the objection herein made exhibit an
undue anxiety about moral questions, the
answer is this: That the conflict herein
precipitated and maintained. is fight
not only for the foundations of our civil
lization, but FOR THOSE FOUNDA-
TIONS WHICH ARE RECOGNIZED
AND-LAID BY THE CONSTITUTION of
THE STATE OF VIRGINIA AND THE
STATUTES OF OUR LEGISLATURE,
tional and statute law, AND DOES NOT
INVADE Hiatt FIELD OF MORALS
WHICH LIES BEYOND FUNDAAIEN-
TAI LAWS OF THIS COMMON
WEALTH.
l have the honor to be.
Very respectfully, ETC.,
(signed) CARLTON MCCARTHY.
Mayor.
Animated Discussion.