Arizona republican., 1914-06-05
BUSINESS MEN ASK ORDINANCE:
 BE IRRIGATED
After Lengthy Discussion of Now Famous License Tax Measure, in Which
 One Point is Paramount, Adopt Drastic Resolution
MAYOR YOUNG
 MAKES REPLY
Says Ordinance Has Faults Which Will Be Corrected and Calls Attention to EX- istence of Similar Meas urc for Years

istence of Similar Meas
 llrc for Years
 Resolved that it is the sense of this meeting that ordinance No. ( oe abro- gated and it's publication stopped and thar committee be appointed repre- sentative of all peaple concerned |" collaborate with the commission in the drafting of a new ordinance that snail be acceptable to the people of this city. the old ordinances to be in effect until the new ordinance shall be adopted.
 This resolution was adopted by rep resentatives of the Board of Trade, the Merchants X Manufacturers and the Rotary club after a spirited meeting with the city commission yesterday ar ternoon. It was promulgated by George F. BarroWs who acted as spokesman of the various trade organizations rep resented. Its adoption marked the close of q session in which there was free discussion of the proposed ordinance, the principal trend of which seemed to be objection to the provisions of para graph ta) of section 169. which pro- yides that each merchant having or conducting a going or established busl- ness shall pay q license tax based upon the gross amount of sales and receipts Of his. their or it's business for the then preceding quarter" where such quar- terly sales do not exceed the sum of | B.. 900. $12.50 per quarter-annum, and where the total amount of such quar- terly sales and receipts exceed 5000, 1 then e-fourth Of one per cent therof per quarter -annum.
 In calling the meeting together. there being so many business men present 1t | had been necessary to requisiti0n the use of the city court room, Mayor Young stated ttat he understood the purpose was to discuss the ordinance and secure information. He called at 1 tention to the fact that the principal part of the ordinance has been on the statute books of the city for years and i he admitted that none of the cOmmis- sioners claims that the ordinance is right and that there isn't man on the commission but that wants it to be right
 | H. A. Diehl of the Merchants X Man ufacturers said that George F. Barrows has been selected to present the M. X NJ. side of the question.
 Mr. Barrows launched into his re marks by calling attention to the cri- ticism that had been heaped upon or dinance No. and explained that there was no spirit of antagonism or criticism actuating those present in discussing the measure. He said that the M. & M. preferred talking with the commission CTS direct rather than to wait until more drastic measures might be taken. He said that rather than the proposed referendum he felt that cooperation would accomplish more.
 While we all recognize that taxa ton is an essential. we also recognize that taxation should be equitable. There is a court of last resort" he said. That court is the people,
 First and foremost we are interest ed in the welfare and growth of this community. Any man having funds to Invest in a business enterprise and looking upon Phoenix as a likely place
 will first investigate how cheaply he can live in this community. Unjust
 taxation will drive such men away
 rather than bring them here. We are
 not here to criticize this ordinance or
 impugn the motives of the makers.
 Section : says that a sworn state ment shall be made of all sales and
 receipts for the preceding quarter.
 don't believe that you gentlemen wish
 to institute a criminal court You
 don't think you have the right to hold tany such criminal investigation. Tho imposition of a tax of one-fourth oi
 one per cent upon the gross receipts
 is an unfair proposition. We would
 be obliged to sell $75,000 worth o
 goods before we could have anything il the way of profit left for ourselves.
 'The only answer to the claim tha | you are short of funds is to economiZe I am opposed to the licensing of an! legitimate business. When We rais' revenues it should be by direct assess ment on property and that's enough. The taxing of the receipts of mer chant is an open invitation to the mai order houses. Tax the business house and the consumer must pay the tax. 'The wholesale end must be fostere'
 also. That branch of business is con
 ducted on narrow basis, sometime on less than a one per cent basis
 MT. BarroWs also stated that the far
 mer was not dealt fairly with in tn
 ordinance He construed the ordinanc
 to mean that the farmer in offering z some products, such as berries am . fruits would be called upon to pay license tax. He also described compell :, ing the farmer selling hay, grain an' , other farm products to secure permi
 (Continued on Page Three.)