Western Carolina Democrat and French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1913-1915, 1914-07-16
COMMISSIONERS FIX TAX
OF 500 ON ITINERANTS,
Consider Questions of Tax Collections,
Lights, General Itinerant Tax,
Flagging Trains, Etc.

II
and interesting session Thursda.
night, lasting until II O'Clock and GOV
ering the subjects of itinerant taxes
collection of special taxes, street con
tracts. lights, etc.
There was large attendance, mos
Of whom were Interested in the ques.
ton of an itinerant tax to be leviei
upon those who engage in business il
Hendersonville for only the summe,
months.
F. E. Upton was armed with pc
tition signed by about $50 persons
most of whom were business men,
asking for a tax that would be COM
mensurate with the profits of itinerant
merchants. Med. Ray and Mr.. Tip
tor expressed themselves freely on
the subject. Mr. Ray setting out the
legal phases and Mr.. Upton covering
the nature of the business, especially
the auction sales part. Mr.. Upton
and an itinerant merchant are con-
Quoting separate auction sales of ORR
rental goods. Mr.. Upton contended
that the tax should be placed on tin
eEants sufficiently high to discourage
the auction sales. He declared that
lie was ready to discontinue his auc-
ten sales provided his Competitor.
would. He declared that he didn't
Ike the system for the reason that
it was not commendabfe. He said
that purchasers were disappointed in
many instances, thinking they were
buying oriental and hand made goods
when they were nothing more than or
dill airy factory products; that IS cent
silk hose sold for Is cents and that
S. garment would some times sell for
$50. He said that such business was
not desirable at all and that a $500
tax would not be prohibitive.
After some discussion the board
fixed tax of $500 on all itinerant
dea lers in jeweiry, dry goods, notions
and light wares. The county tax on
tnis business is also 5000.
. Mr.. Ray said that it would be a good
thing to place a special tax on timer
ant grocers and poultry dealers, but
the board held that at the best suffi-
cient poultry could not be supplied at
reasonable prices.
Mr.. Upton said that liverymen and
automobilists should also be protected
against itinerant business, which was
supplemented by the remark of Mr..
Andrews of the livery firm of Orr g. |
Andrews. who said that he was f6rcel
to keep his machines standing on the
street to get any business since a |
dozen machines for hire could be found |
standing between his garage and Main !
street. The board was of the opinion
that good laws could be worked our |
along this line but that they could not
he made to apply to the present sea-
son, therefore no action was taken.
A petition was read from residents I
en- Ninth avenue, asking for the extern
sion of water line to that vicinity. |
The matter was referred to Manager
George w. Justice to report at the |
next meeting.
Manager Justice submitted bid
showing that it would cost about $500
to build a stone culvert on Fourth
avenue IN the vicinity of the railroad
1t was decided to do only work of a
temporary nature on this street for
the present.
Commissioner Flicker presented ap-
LEGATIONS for two lights, one near the
rev hotel Of Mrs. j. w Bailey and |
the other near the Oakley Florida
Home, with the recommendation tina. /
lights be taken from other portions of
the city, which is not in a position TO
go to further expense at this time for
lights. He was instructed to hives
tigate the matter thoroughly and re-
port to the next meeting.
Commissioner Freeze recommended
that a permit be granted for the cree
tien Of a Baptist Mission church build
.ng for eolored people on Brooklyn
Avenue. The permit was granted.
Complaint was made to the board
mat fiagman was needed on back
tl.g trains Over the Main street cross
ing OF the Pennsylvania railroad,
commissioner Bailey said that it was
she 1ele of TIC. southerlf to have flag
s51 Oh lacking t-ains or engines. He
assured the board that the matter
would lie LOOKED into Immediately.
Manager Justice asked for full ex-
ile7sion of the board as to the policy
Of collecting special taxes in advance
rather than wait until the close of the /
season. 1t was the sense of the board
hat all snecial taxes should be col |