The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-22
City May Exempt Packing Com
pany From License.
Thousands of Dollars From
Treasury Annually.
REPEAL ORDINANCE.
This Would Happen If City Fa'
vOred Cudahy Plan.
Foreign Packing Interests
Would Have Open Field.

Unless the city council takes different
action. the large number of packing
companies doing business in this city
from other cities. will be immune from
license. This will deprive the city
treasury of over $500 a year.
License committee of the city coun-
Gil last night reported to the council
in favor of a request of the brancn
house of the Cudahy Packing company
of Kansas City, who asked that their
license be revoked. AS an excuse for
this desire for action they contended that
they employed nine men in the city,
were taxpayers, kept number OF
teams on hand and had built a cold
for these favors they asked that they
be made exempt from paying taxes on
the inspection of their products.
According to the city clerks records
and those of the citv treasurer, an ex-
emption of this kind would mean a loss
TO the city of $500 L year This when
the funds are made I'D and everything
IS taken into consideration, is large
item
The Cudahy Packing company is not
the only concern which would be at
fected by such an ordinance. In pass
ing on the Cudahy interests favorably
the committee thought, the other night,
that they were favoring this company
and none of the others-they claim that
the Cudahy people have established
larger interest in this city than the
other companies. But such is not the
case. All must be treated alike.
Would Repeal Entire Ordinance.
When the committee passed upon the
report it did not realize that it was
killing the entire ordinance. A city or
dinance is made without Partially to
anyone and applies to all alike II an
ordinance was passed and later torn
to pieces with exemptions 1t would De
come null and void.
In exempting the Cudahy Packing
company the council is running the en-
tire fee ordinance and causing loss OF
q large amount of revenue every year.
The Cudahy people cannot be favor
ed and the others sighted" said May
or Green in speaking of the matter
ITO relieve one company OF the tax
would be to relieve all of them.
The city ordinance places the 1ot-
lowing prices on packing house mater
ials:
FOR each head of cattle except calves
under one year old. ten cents
For each head of calves under one
year old, three cents.
For each hog. three cents
For each sheep, three cents
"Al uncured meats at the rate of Is
cents per one hundred pounds
Other Concerns Here.
There are number of foreign pack
ing concerns doing business in Tope-
ka with established distributing sta
tions here. They also do considerable
local trade. But they are foreign cor
porations and do not pay the taxes and
employ the men of larger interests
which make their headquarters and es-
tablish their plants in this city.
The Cudahy Packing company, the
Armour's Packing company, the SWIFT
company, S. & S. company, Morris &
Co, Fowler Packing company and 9TH
ers are here. They all pay the taxes
required by law.
The matter is now in the hands OF
the judiciary committee of the city
council awaiting action. The council is
divided upon the proposition and at the
meeting Friday night it will be either
''Cudahy or no Cudahy'' with the city
officials.