The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-01-02
News Snapshots
Of the Week
Would Tax Mail Order Houses

WOulQ DIX Mail OTQCT IlOuSCS
The business men of Idaho Falls
are asking the federal government to
levy a tax on the interstate COM
merce of the mail order houses They
have petitioned the Idaho delegation
in Congress to support a bill intro
duced by Representative Hinebaugh
of Illinois which has this object i'll
view. Pure Food Commissioner Jas.
H. Wallis has interested himself in
tie proposed law He has written
Congressman Smith of this state a
letter in which he urges the passage
of the measure. Commissioner Wal
lis says:
LAS pure food commissioner of the
state of Idaho, desire to give my Of
hcial Endorsement and urge the pass
age of house bill $685. introduced by
Representative Hinebaugh, providing
for a tax upon interstate mail-order
business In this connection | desire
to state that it is altogether wrong
for these goods to be shipped into
our state in competition with goods
sold by our merchants, without any
restriction. Idaho makes a rigid in
spection of all food products offered
for sale within her borders, and what
are adulterated and misbranded are
conhscated and destroyed and the
dealer punished. These mail-order
goods come into our state and are dis
posed of without any inspection be-
cause they are delivered to the pur-
chaser direct, or are sent to him c.
o. D.
Our merchants are public bene-
factors in the upbuilding of our COM
monwealth. For the most part they
own their business blocks on which
they paw revenue to the state. coun-
ty and city; in addition to which they
pay municipal license. employ To-
cal people, contribute to every pub
lie benefit, pay out thir moneys for
telephone, electric light, fire insur-
ance and other service, from which
the maii-order goods are immune,
The limbaugh bill will not remedy
all these conditions, but it is a step
in the right direction, and | therefore
give it my hearty Endorsement and
trust that it will be favorably acted
upon without much delay"
The discussion of the mail order
houses has become general during
the past few months. Heretofore
| the discussion was confined almost
solely to the local merchant on the
one side and the patron of the mail
order house on the other 1t has al
WAYS seemed to The Tribune that a
| fair presentation of the claims OF the
local merchant would be sufficient to
wean the people away from the mai
order house. We have always as
sumed that the local merchant filled
legitimate function in the, scheme
of things and that all things consid-
cred he could successfully compete
with the mail order house. If he has
not such a function to perform ant
cannot compete in price and quality
service of course considered, he is
gone gosling as an institution IN thu
business world. All the taxes tina
Congress could ever put upon sucl
commerce will not save the merchan
The people who patronize the maj
order houses are convinced that b.
so doing they save money, 1t the,
do save money they will continue t
patronize those houess II they d,
not save money, then it is clearly tn
fault of the merchant, if they con
tinue to patronize the mail orde
house. In this connection bushes
men should bear in mind that tn
farmers are not the sole offenders
We have known hardware and gro
Gerry merchants in Caldwell who pur
chased dry goods out of the city; dr.
goods merchants who SO purchase
groceries; and business men of a
/ kinds who got their printed matte
away from home Such being tn
, case the business interests Shout
! first educate themselves, After the
/ get themselvs in the proper frame c
mind they can go after the farmer
laboring men and others.