The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-15
NEAR BEER STANDS TAXED $15O A YEAR Chattanooga Is Striving To
 Provide Revenue BUSINESS DOES NOT PAY Some of the Soft Drink Stands Have Gone Out of Business-Merger
 of Street Railway Companies Is Finally Authorized.
BUSINESS DOES NOT PAY

Chattanooga, July 14.-(Special )-Near beer can be sold in Chattanooga upon payment into the city's exchequer $50 a year in advance. according to an or dinance passed by the lower board Mon day night The ordinance when intro duced called for a license of $250 but was amended to read $150 instead The ordinance just passed by the lower board differs from the one introduced last Mon day night in that the tax is increased from $50 to $150 and that the members of the excise board shall consist of the two presidents of the city council and the chairman of the board of public safety The original ordinance provided that the excise board should consist of the mem- hers of the board of public safety. This provision met with considerable opposi- tion and the special committee of the low CT board which redrafted the ordinance made the change in the membership of the board The ordinance passed Mon day night provides for closing at 10 O clock on every night eycept Saturday. when the dealers can remain open until Il o'clock. It also provides that the revenue derived from the taxing of near beer up to 5000 shall be turned over to the board of trustees of the firemens and police mems benefit and relief fund This pro- vision of the ordinance also encountered some opposition, but in order to put the matter through no issue was made of this at the meeting Monday night.
 
 Important developments are characteriz- ing the near beer situation in Chatta- nooga. Tine soft drink business even with the near beer attachment, Is not paying in Chattanooga as was expected This fact is emphasized by the closing of one of the most popular stands in the city, which has heretofore done a land-office business. Another development is that the dealers are not going to submit to the $150 tax on near beer without a contest, and moreover claim that they can easily avoid the tax by paying ordinary mer- chants license, under which near beer can be sold according to the state reve- nue law. Councilman W. A. Terrell has expressed what seems to be the prevailing sentiment 'The whole thing seems to iuO lo Do dDSuTup Sdlu 16TTell, it has been proven that near beer Is not intoxicating. we have no right to tax its sale any more than any other merchant dise''
 The most hurried meeting on record of the board of aldermen was called Monday evening for the purpose of allowing the chairman of the upper board to sign the ordinance giving the consent of the city council to the merger of the Chattanooga Electric company and the Chattanooga Railways company. A number of import ant deals for the Improvements on the system, In addition to the merger of the two companies, have been held up pend ing the action of the council, and the meeting Monday was In order to permit Manager w. E. Boileau to leave for Ohio with the completed legislation at his finger tips. Manager Boileau stated that dur ing his present trip he would purchase large additional supplies for the rewiring of the street railways, for the power plant and other sections of the system. Large supplies have already been purchased, and 1t Is the intention of the consolidated company to turn loose large sums of money immediately after the merger is completed in the improvement, most es- pecially of the street rsilway system and forsrepairing the electric company's sys- tenn. It is reported that officials of the company will make a trip to Chattanooga July 24 and then the general offices of the system, or some of them, will be re- moved to this city.
 Formst advertisement of the sale of the water works bonds. amounting to $9OO, ,000 has been made by Mayor Crabtree. The advertisement reads that the proceeds of the sale can be used to either erect a new plant or purchase the existing plant owned by the City Water company. The bids will be opened at o'clock Friday August 13. It is provided that the bonds shall be issued in 5000 denominations, be- ing numbered consecutively from one to 300. They will mature 30 years from date of issuance and bear interest at the rate of 41e per cent, payable semi-an- nually.
 Application has. been filed for a charter for the Betterton-E England Shoe company which will begin business in this city not later than October 1. The company capitalized at $200,000, will engage in the wholesale shoe business, and 1t is not inn probable that an immense factory for the manufacture of shoes will be erected in a few months, If the business of the new company justifies the expenditure. B. R. Betterton, 1t is understood, will be the majority stockholder and the president of the new company, while w. c. Eng land. for 12 years in manag gerial charge of the wholesale house of Bass & Heard of Rome, Ga, will be the manager. Other stockholders are: J. o. Martin, F. B. Holt C. w. Cox, Ira c. England and T.. R. Preston.
 County Attorney Joe V. Williams is in- clined to believe that unless the Chicago capitalists, who purchased a recent issue of $150,000 Hamilton countx--sehool bonds, are actually trying to evade their con- tract, the sale of the bonds will not be yitiated by the invalidity of the act under which the bonds are alleged to have been issued. The bonds were sold to the high est bidder. the Chicago capitalists being successful because of the large premium they agreed to pay. The premium on the bonds amounts to something like SIG, GOO. which is the largest premium ever paid for bonds of Hamilton county, or, in fact, for any municipal or county bonds ever offered in the state.
 NOTICE OF SALE