Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1906-06-22
THE REVENUE ORDINANCE.

Whicn Will come up Tor maj pas
sage at the meeting of the council
next Thursday night. The bust
ness men of the city should carefully
consider this measure and If there
are any provisions in it thai do not
meet with their favor, it is their
privilege and duty to appear before
the council Thursday night and
make known their objections, at
which time the council can make
such changes as may seem fit.
The ordinance as it now stands
provides for an increase of about
$500 in the annual revenue of the
city. TO many, this may seem like
an unnecessary increase, but the city
can use every dollar of that money
during the current year for neces-
sary and legitimate improvements.
For instance, with the installation
of the water system, it will be neces-
sary to purchase at least two hose
carts and several hundred feet of
hose. These items alone will cost
in the neighborhood of $500. There
will be other expenses in connection
with the establishment of the water
system that must be met with funds
other than that secured from the
bond sale. There are also other
needed improvements which cannot
be made unless the revenue Of the
city is increased.
But in providing for this in
creased revenue the council should
endeavor to proportion the license
as equally as possible and not make
it burden upon any one class of
business. Another point that should
be considered is, that the license
should not be placed so high on any
business as to make it impossible
for a person TO pay the license and
conduct the business with reason
able profit. By SO doing the license
becomes prohibitive and the city
= derives no revenue from that cIs IS
of business.
We have heard favorable and I'M
favorable comment upon the saloon
license as provided in the ordinance.
Some think that $3.50 year would
be sufficient, while others have ex-
pressed the opinion that it should be
$500 year. We believe that the
ordinance committee struck the
happy medium in placing the license
at 5000. This is raise Of less than
80 cents day over the present H.
cense, and we don't believe that the
burden will fall heavily on either
one of our four saloons.
We do believe, however, that the
license has been placed too high or
pool tables. 1t provides for tax
of $40 quarter on one table and 81
quarter for each additional table
Besides two saloons. which have
one table each, there are two poo
rooms in town-one with three ant
the other one with two tables. w,
do not believe that that class O
amusement is sufficiently populai
here to warrant those two rooms
paying that license, Some may sa,
that the town can get along yer,
well without pool rooms. Very
true, but that isn't the point. Wha
the city wants is the revenue from
that class of business, but If the ia,
is placed SO high as TO force one oil
both places to close. the object fol
which the council is aiming i,
killed.
The Examiner is not asking thai
any favoritism be shown to any
class of business, but we do ask tina,
the license shall be fixed in each and
every instance at such sum as will
enable the city to obtain a reason.
able revenue from every Legitimate
line of business in the city.
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s. Avery g. Moore, editor of thu