The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-09-06
PASSED THE
LICENSE LAW
Council Held Special Meeting
Yesterday and Com.
pIeted Task.
MADE A GENERAL REDUCTION
Lowered Saloon Licenses And Later
JnapancnI rrham--poCCaI Hoo
Lowered Saloon Licenses And Later
Increased Them--Passcd Dog
Tax Ordinance.

The city council spent the entire
afternoon yesterday considering the
license ordinance. All the members
were present with the exception of
Mayor Clark, Councilman Carbon be-
ing called to preside. The council
at meeting a couple of weeks ago
fixed the license tax but today
changed the majority of the taxes,
a reduction being made in nearly ev-
cry instance. The councilmen, it
seems, have been discussing the mat
ter with several of the merchants and
have come to the conclusion that the
taxes in many cases were too high.
1t was found during the general dis
cussion yesterday that certain
changes in some of the clauses would
have to be made as well as the fact
that some new clauses would have to
be added. Attorney Boreman, who
was present as assistant city at
torney, took up the matters and
wrote the additions to the ordinance.
The ordinance was finally passed
to print, and in short time will be
law. The council completed the task
yesterday as the city is badly in need
of revenue.
Councilman Root read the ordin-
ance from the beginning to the end,
the council passing upon it section
by section. The first paragraph was
objected to by Councilman Hall. 1t
related to the quarterly tax upon sa-
looms. Mr.. Hall explained that while
he was perfectly willing to pay 800
month there were several saloon
men who could not afford to do SO.
Il realize that the city must have
revenue said Mr.. Hall, ''but | think
it would be nothing more than right
to reduce the amount to $75. That
would make it $25 month, and as
nearly all the citys revenue comes
from the saloons anyhow, it would
not be out of the way to reduce the
amount $25."
''In other cities it is considerably
more than 500 quarter" remark
ed Councilman Carbon.
"Some saloons couldn't stand the
$780," remarked Mr.. Hall.
Mr.. Carbon argued that $25 a
month would not make any material
difference to the saloons, but it We: ! J
make considerable difference to the
city.
Mr.. Halls motion that the amount
be reduced $25 was carried. Mr..
Root stated that the license could
be raised at any time and Attorney
Boreman remarked:
Its easy enough to lower licenses,
but you will have a picnic trying
to increase them"
The license tax for the wholesale
of malt and spirituous liquors was
also reduced from SIS to $50.
The tax upon wholesale brewers
was reduced from SIS to $50.
The provision fixing the punish
ment for the violation of any sec
ton of the ordinance reads that the
guilty party is subject to a fine of
$500 or six months in Jail, or both.
The punishment for selling liquors
to minors is the same.
If mans license is revoked it is
not incumbent upon the clerk to re-
turn him any of the money he has
paid for his license.
When the section of the license
tax ordinance concerning billiard
halls and bowling alleys came up,
Councilman Root remarked:
Il will state that I've made all the
objections to that / intend to. I'm
not going to say that l will veto it
or anything like that. Plainly
stated, however, it is too high
81 think the bowling alley license
should be cut in two," said Mr.. Bore
man.
Councilman Hall moved that the
tax per table for hillary parlors be
reduced from So to 50 and that the
bowling alley tax be reduced from
$40 to $5.
Councilman Root argued for a flat
rate. He drew as a comparison a
barber shop and big mercantile
store. The barber would have to
pay so much for each chair while
the amount the proprietor of the
mercantile establishment might pay
would be much less in comparison to
the business transacted
81 think the way we have adopted
is the only fair and equitable man.
ner of taxing" said Councilman Car
don. ''It is the custom as adopted
by other cities. 1t is always the case
of the rich against the poor when il
comes to fixing taxes. We can more
nearly guess what business the little
dealer is doing than the owner OF
the big enterprise. I think it is al
together the right thing"
The motion as made by Council
man Hall was passed.
Other taxes were changed as fol.
lows:
Attorneys-from $40 to Sc.
Barber shops-from So for each
chair and tub to $1.50.
Banks-from $25 to SIS.
Bakeries-from $S to Sc.
Butcher shops-from $S to $6.
Meat peddlers-from $S to Sc.
Bootblacks-from Sc to 81.
Clothes cleaners Sc to $5.
Coal dealers-from $40 to SO.
Concrete block manufacturers
from $12 to 10.
Dentists-from $12 to Sc.
Druggists from SIS to $12.
Electrical companies-from SIS tt
$12.
Insurance agents-from Sc to IS
Tent lodging houses-$S and othel
lodging houses So
Feed stables-from $40 to 50.
General merchandise stores doing