The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1908-05-30
GET AFTER PEDDLERs
A Fruitful Source OF Revenue Is
Being Overlooked

Being Overlooked
The Marquette Mining Journal in its
Monday issue pointed out to the city
council OF that place where big source
Of income is being overlooked. The
case applies 50 directly to Crytsal Falls !
that we reprint the article here and call
the attention of our city authorities ana
our merchants to it. II the merchants
advise the ones directly interested In
this matter, do not look out for their
rights they cant expect that others
will do so and our advice TO them IL 70
get together and ses that their rights
are protected. THE article referred TO
is as follows:
1.-THE city officials of Marquette, by
lax enforcement OF the state law and
the local ordinances, are permitting
one source of possible income for the
public treasury to lie untouched, ana
hundreds of dollars that might easily,
and properly. be collected TO help in
lessening the burden on the Marquette
taxpayer are allowed 10 slip by. This
same thing is. in large measure, true
of the otner upper peninsula cities, and
in the aggregate tens of thousands OF
dollars that might well be collected in
this region for the benefit of the tax
PAYERS Is allowed TO be carried away
unclaimed.
"The thing The Mining Journal re-
fers TO is the failure TO enforce the
state law and local ordinances relative
10 peddlers. hawkers and itinerant
statesmen in general The state law Is
stiff one and. supplemented by the
local ordinances gives the Marquette
authorities ample power TO bring
agents and peddlers TO time either
making them pay thier share of the
taxes, Just as the business men who are
located permanently in the city do, OF
keep away from the city.
THE state statute on the subject is
comprehensive license fees. AS amend
ed by the Legislature of 1907, the sec
ton Of most Importance in connection
with the matter under discussion read
: as follows Every applicant, before
he shall be entitled TO license, shall
: pay into the state treasury the follow
, ing duties II he intends to travel OF
q foot the sum of So II he intends Z
} travel and carry his goods with sin
u gle horse or other beasts carrying o
= drawing n burthen, the sum OF $50;
Is he intends TO travel with any vehicl
IL drawn by more than one horse or an
y otner animal, the SUN OF $40; IL he in
So tends to travel by railroad, steamboat
or other public conveyance, the sum
$ 500; II he intends ia travel in an
is manner for the purpose Of taking OF
70 ders for goods, wares or merchandise
10 by exhibiting samples. lists, catalogue
"a or otherwise the sum OF $50; provide
IN that no license shall be issued for
le period Of less than one year.
70 The above section is SO inclusive thi
It would seem 10 cover travelling me
displaying their goods at retail me
Cnhult, put, hN hhNtcl ~ AhNti th'
are made exempt from the law by
later section. even II they were n
!" exempted by the federal constitution
y, {" There is, lawyer who has loo
" cd into the question thoroughly said
: The Mining Journal Saturday. %
: class of agent who, while doing
~ strictly retail business, Cannot
-. reached under the state law. The fe
~ eral constitution guarantees unrestriC
ed interstate commerce. Thus, and I
courts have made this point clear,
would be impossible to collect a licen
: fee, and make 70 stick, against "a
" who sold TO individual consumers fro
sample or catalogue, If the goods we
shipped in a package from anoth
state direct TO the consumer, or pr
It's chaser. ANY attempt to collect
ria license fee in sucn case would be
ID. Interference with the constitution
Oet