The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-06-12
RcHANTS ARE
N|TED AGAINST
7 LOCAL LICENSE
Mass Meeting to Be Followed
by Big Petition to the
Council.
TWO HUNDRED HEAR
SPIRITED UTTERANCES
STEPHENS WANTS TO TAX SPEC.
ULAToRs WHO HOLD UNlM-
PROVED GROUND.

$%A% $1,000 ~ - ~
= Al the meeting of the city council =
= on next Monday evening, petition =
, from the merchants of Salt Lake y
, VIII be presented asking for the re- y
y peal Of the merchants license ordi- y
= nance, according TO the plan decided y
= upon at last nights mass meeting.
tt&4%4%N&%%&E% %%%+4%N&<%&T
AT the end of the discussion of the pres
ent merchants license question. at the
mass meeting of Salt Lake business men
last night at the chamber Of commerce.
Frank B. Stephens and Joseph w. String
fellow were selected 10 draw up set OF
resolutions asking the city council TO re-
peal the license tax ordinance. When the
resolutions are prepared they viii be cir
culated among the merchants of the city
Tor signatures after which they Will be
sent TO the council.
The meeting was attended by more
than 800 merchants. President George 5.
McAlister of the Manufacturers K MeT-
chants association occupied the chair.
Before introducing the first speaker, JO-
seph W. SuingfellOW. Mr.. McAllister told
OF the manner in which San Francisco
and other progressive cities have abol-
ished the merchants license.
Mr.. StringfelloW said the legal aspect
of the situation was simply that, as the
supreme court of the state had sustained
the legality Of the license ordinance the
or take steps 10 induce the city council
10 repeal the ordinance.
As to the Supreme Court.
Mr.. Stringfellow spoke Of having tested
the ordinance for the Christensen Shoe
company and of fhe supreme courts de-
cisiOn that the ordinance was valid. In
his opinion. the collection OF a license
from a merchant was double taxation
and An injustice Until the supreme
court decision was rendered, he said, he
believed that the license ordinance could
not be enforced under the laws OF the
state. lie based that opinion, he said,
upon a supreme court decision. He re-
marked that there had been a change IN
the law. following a change IN the per
sonnet of the supreme court, but thdI
the law would remain as II is now in
terpreted Irul there Is another change
in the supreme court. He added that he
meant no disrespect 10 the Justices OF
the supreme court but was merely stat
ing fact.
Mr.. Stringfeuow thought it absurd that
the city council made il a misdemeanor
for a merchant TO refuse 10 pay his
license. The penalty he said, could
be fixed at 800 fine anc 100 days IN Jail
Who ever heard of man being sent 10
Jail iu these days Tor not paSlgg ms
taxes2" As the license ordinance is un-
just, he said, il ought TO be-repealed-
c. A. ouigley Talks.
Charles a. Quigley followed. He spoke
sarcasucalIy of the Salt Lake tax col
lectOr III the Tax collector has had the
same trouble with all or YOU That ne mas
had with me- he SAID, Il DO not see now
he has lived through il all. We are for
tunate i'm Salt Lake in having tax col
leCtOr who is above all other men bright,
able. smart and good
Mr.. Quigley said that he did not OBJ
ject TO taxation, if the money collected
were spent honestly, as public improve
ments were advantageous 10 the city
and 10 its business men, but he thought
gshsfa Ia IA
ueafed hV the council. The license, he
said. was a poor thing 10 fling in the face
OF an enterprislng newcomer VINO comes
10 Salt Lake 10 engage in business. He
said that ne wanted nothing here TO drive
away new brains and energy, and that he
was ready 10 welcome hundred COM
petitors I'm his own line,
Frank B. stephens was the next speak
en- He said that he believed the city
council would repeal the license Ordi-
nance if the merchants OF salt Lake
asked it, But he thought that there
should be an even broader reform in the
system of taxation here
Would Tax Spectators.
Under our system Of taxation" he
said. IA man Is taxed for painting his
house ana for planting a rose bush upon
his lawn We should readjust the tax on
vacant ground. Much land is now being
held in salt Lake by spectators who es-
cape without any considerable burden of
taxation while others are building up the
city. AS matters now stand, the man
who is working for Salt Lake is also
bearing the heavier burden of taxation.
The owner OF vacant lots. while prOfiting
because Of the improvements of the
house builder. evades his Just share Of
taxation My gross tax upon my home
IS $50 il is merely a place 10 live in
AS 7 believe that too much land is be-
Ing held by spectators / think that
there should be a tax upon real estate,
with a reduction for improvements that
10 he hot
of the present burden upon progressive