Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1908-02-05
NEW LICENSE PROVISIONS.

License year changed from May
to July /.
If local license is greater than
regular state license. latter must be
the same.
Any state officer may enforc, Ii
censo collection.
Travelling liquor statesmen must
have $500 license in each county
where they do business.
Social clubs must pay fiat rate.
amounting to half the retail liquor
license
Any officer charged with license
collection, who is negligent, is liable
10 a fine and payment OF license him
SELF.
Four important administration
tax measures are house bills Nos. /.
,, and 4.
No. /, by Mr. Duty, prevents lit-
cation, which followed the last
change of the license year. 1t pro-
vides that all licenses issued by
county clerks, county courts and the
auditor, under the provisions Of
chapter 30 of the code, which expire
on April 80, 1908, shall be granted
from May 1, 1908. TO June 80, 1909.
and the license tax shall be one and
one-siXteenth times the annual tax.
All franchise license taxes due from
corporations will be governed by the
same provisions.
No. 3, introduced by Mr.. Staun-
ton, provides for the investment of
sinking funds of any county dis
trict school district, independent
school district, city, town or village.
In case Of bonded Indebtedness the
sinking fund must be invested i'm Sc
curities. such as the United States
bonds or valid county. district or mu-
nicipal bonds Of West Virginia. The
investment must be approved by the
prosecuting attorney and the attor-
ney general, except in the case of
municipality. when the solicitor will
nave the power of approval. If, how
ever, the investment is in bonds of
the same county, approval is not ne
cessary. Stringent precautions are
taken to guard the interest accru-
ing from the fund. This law would
affect every local government in the
state, and is cure for the present
haphazard system which has been
responsible for the overwhelming in
debtedness of so many counties.
No. 4 is designated to apply to
such peculiar cases as arose in
wheeling when the ATTEMPT was
made to collect bucketshop licenses.
1t provides that in the event of a
persons failure to pay license
upon application of any officer Of
the county or of the state. the cir
cult court shall grant an injunction
restraining the person from continu-
ing in business until the license and
penalty are paid. This insures pros
ecution by state officers. when local
officers are not active, which. some
times they are not.
Another important provision is
that when a city liquor license is
greater than that OF the state. the
state license shall be the same as
the local rate In Charleston. for
instance, this would make the state
license $500, and in Bluefeld $1,000
the amounts or the local licenses I'm
those two towns. II would not af-
feet Wheeling. because the license
there is lower in amount than the
states. The state tax commissioner
is also given authority to appoint
agents for the collection of license
taxes
Another section imposes a license
Of $500 upon persons soliciting or
ders for intoxicating liquors and the
license shall be co-extensive only I'm
the county IN which it is issued. This
provision is construed to mean that
wholesalers must take out a license
in each county into which they send
drummers. with the exception of the
county in which the business is To-
Gated. To will be a considerable rev
enue gamer n passed. but will prob
ably be vigorously fought by the
wholesalers. a further restriction is
that travelling liquor men cannot So
Iicit orders In incorporated cities or
towns without permission OF the au-
.horitfes
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