The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1912-05-24
COURTS WILL DECIDE 1T

The city council has decided thu
auctioneers must pay license to d
business in Blackfoot, and instead c
fixing the license at a REASONABLE
amount and accepting the revenu
which some of them say they want
they fix it at prohibitive price an,
get lawsuit. In case they win the.
will get nothing, and If they lose the.
pay the costs and the town lose
some business and also loses the re-
spect and good will of lot of people
who trade in the town. This has
already operated to increase the de.
termination of some people to send
away to mail order houses for goods.
They do not do this because they
want to work against their own town
and their own interests, but because
they resent any move that has the
appearance of monopoly, and, wheth-
err it is so or not, many local people
have the feeling that such is the case.
Some members of the council have
sought to justify their position in
this matter by saying that Idaho Falls
has such an ordinance, and that Po-
catello and Boise have an ordinance
requiring some sort of license from
auctioneers.
That Is weak logic. We do not
have to 60 to Idaho Falls or any oth-
er town to reason out a little prob
lem of fairness between men in bust
ness, and between trades people and
ultimate consumers. 1t might be said
of Idaho Falls that they have been
drinking canal water out of their city
mains all these years since they had
mains; they have expended lot Of
bond money for which they have
nothing to show, but we do not have
to follow their example.
1t might be said that the city coun-
ell Of Pocatello made a move by which
they had 500 shopmen out working
on the streets the same day, and two
thirds of them were playing horse
with strings and clothes lines, work.
ing twenty and thirty in team, drag
ging a single old shoe, a rubber boot
or dead cat to the garbage pile and
the sides of the streets and windows
and doors were lined with spectators
as interested and amused as If Bar
nuns sacred white elephants were
passing. And each of these men cost
ne city three dollars day, and the
abroad was crippled for men to han
lie their machines all that day. We
10 not have to initiate Pocatello in
nat nor in mobbing the owner of ,
heir city water supply because they !
ad been drinking filthy water
1t might be said of Boise that they
ave adopted the commission form of :
overnment, and have plunged them f
elves into one round of turmoil that n
romises to be continuous perform
nee, Illuminating in monthly munic- G
al elections, but we do not have to O.
nitate Boise nor we shall not If 9
sople retain their senses. n
The present city council is conduct n
g a very commendable administra- b,
On in most things, and are avoid n
g some of the mistakes made by o,
cir predecessors when working in m
ltried fields, but when the history ID
their auctioneer's ordinance is
'itten, 1t will say that it was in re- II,
faint of trade, that the price fixed
Is not for the purpose of regulating
siness nor for producing revenue,
t to prohibit business, and that it
stroyed revenue, and diverted bus ri,
'ss from the town which 1t already IN
d, not alone in the lines immedi-
'ly affected, but in others by sym ou
ny M
Well, 30 to 1t gentlemen, the rec off
will be yours. tn,