Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-01-14
OCCUPATION TAX
IS ON THE GRILL
TWO MEN FINED AND INiNIEDI-
ATEIY TAKE APPEALS.
MANY WARRANTS ISSUED
About Half Have Paid Up--Redforn
Conducts His Own Case, But
Loses Out at End.


occurred in the booze traffic In
Tulsa, the city authorities have taken
up the enforcement Of several other
ordinances lying dormant In the city
archives. BY the Inauguration of this
campaign most every type Of business
man in the city will be brought be-
fore Judge Houston Of the city police
court TO answer 10 the charge Of vio-
lating the occupation license tax ord
nance.
This law was codlfied by the pres
ent city commlsslonion to provide ad-
ditlonal funds for city expenses It
provides for tax Of men In overy
line OF business ranging from S12 10
$24 annually
II Is stated by authority that hardly
half Of the merchants have paid their
annual tax and the city attorney Is
employing strenuous methods Co coll
| lect the amounts. or assess pen
atty The city license tax collector.
| w. c. Holloway is playing the title
/ role, armed with several hundred
warrants for the arrest Of persons In
all parts OF the city engaged In bus
/ mess
The majority Of those In arrears
with the city have openly declared
their intention Of fighting the exist
ing ordinance as unworthy Of being
Recognized. Some claim that It's pro-
visions tend to discriminate against
the small business man For instance.
| II has been cited that a man in the
wholesale business on the small scale
pays the same amount Of tax as a
1 firm doing business q hundred fold
Its amount OF business. 1t Is this class
| Of business man that has entered a
protest against the ordinance, and is
determined TO fight II to the last ditch
II is evident from the result Of two
cases arraigned in. city police court
yesterday evening that the small mer-
chants all over the city have banded
themselves together In order to deter
mine whether the ordinance Is a lust
law As quickly as these cases are
given preliminary hearing an appeal
Is taken to the higher courts. In the
course Of few weeks the higher
court docket will no doubt record sew
eral hundred such Gases
William Redfern. Of the Farmers
& Merchants Produce Company was
arraigned befoer Judge Houston yes
terday evening to answer to the charge
of not coming forth with his annual
tax He defended his own case
against the testimony OF the prosecut-
Ing witness, w. C. Holloway, and IN
his closing argument literally knock
ed the provisions Of the ordinance into
the emptiness Of cipher with its
rim rubbed out. Mr.. Redfern asl1ed
the court why doctors, lawyers, dent
lists. bakers and professional men were
not required to pay the occupation
tax.
This part of his argument was OBJ
Jected to by the court In that II failed
to show cause for violation. Redfern
further claimed that the licenses is
sued by the city were not drawn up
according to law, as they were not
signed by the mayor Nevertheless.
he was found guilty by Judge Hous-
ton and a fine of $25 assessed. The
defendant asked notice of appeal,
and his bond WAS fixed at $50
The second fall guy" as Mr.. Red
fern expressed It, was j II. Hin, Tul-
sa's humorist, and proprietor of res
taurant on South Main Street IIill
testified that he had no paid his oc-
| Cupation tax because several UelI
learned lawyers Of the city had in
formed him that the ordinance would
not hold water The restauranter
was likewise fined, and followed the
suit OF his predecessor by appealing
to the higher court. Both men we're
given ten days by Judge Houston in
which to file their appeals.