The sun., 1916-01-27
NEW LAW MENACES
Big JEWELRY FIRMS
Book Concerns Also Hit by
Ordinance Aimed at Pawn
and Junk Shops.
MAYOR PROMISES HELP

Tinanye. Black. starr & Frost. Cor
ham's-all Of the large jewelry es-
Establishments Charles Scribner's Sons.
Putnams. Harper 4 Bros. all Of :he
large book selling concerns. would have
to shut up shop at sunset. before
+ ". part of the year, ~ an old blue
law which has been revamped by the
Board Of Aldermen goes into effect on
April |. II is not only this extraor-
dinarv provision OF the ordinance which
is worrying the jewellers and the book.
sellers There are many features which
,hev regard as oppressive and unfair.
However, Mayor Mitchell. who ap-
proved the ordinance before ne compre-
hended liz unnecessary scope. has as
sured the bookdealers' committee and
counsel for the National Jewelers.
Board or Trade, 8 Stanwood Menken.
that he will champion their cause and
do everything possible 90 influence the
Aldermen TO eliminate the Objectionable
regulations
Theodore Rousseau. secretary 20 the
Mayo said Yesterday tha. Mr.. Mitchell
q wholly in sympathy with the posi-
ton OF the jewellers and hookdealers
and that the MAYOR believes the ordI-
nance can be So amended as 20 apply
directly whore Il wac meant to apply
10 the piwnshops. the second hand
dealers and the Junk shops--and to free
the larger business concerns from un-
necessary police supervision
As the ordinance was drawn by Alder
man Brush on the basis Of an old law
covering the operations Of second hand
dealers pawnhrokers and tunkmen. II
provides tina; no teweller or bookseller
shall huv or se,, excep, between sunrise
and sunset that none shall he allowed
to visit the home Of customer for the
purpose Of buying or selling. that the
most detailed records must he kept Of
every sale. tho name Of the Sc 'ler, mo
title ~ each book or article. and that
transcript, of all records must he fur
nished to the Police Department, on de-
mand. I. provides Furthermore tnat
each dealer must take out q license cost
ing S25 and IN addition Ale a bond ~
500 renewable eNey year The eNect
OF the ordinance as the jewellers and
book men View Il. Won q he To put them
on ,he same business plane with pawn
brokers and second hand dealers
Mr.. Menken. acting for the jewellers,
has had several conferences with Mayor
Mitchell in the las, week in which he IN
formed the Mayor that the ordinance was
wholly unjust as II applied TO his clients
He explained that It's operation would
involve y tremendous amount of extra
bookkeeping and that the leading jsweiry
concerns Of the city would regard q; as
A hardship to be placed at the beck and
call Of the police. He explained also
that the ordinance would compe, the
large establishments 20 close nearly TWO
hours before the regular time in winter
months thereby causing great loss. The
MAYOR agreed with Mr.. Menken that the
ord nance was too loosely drawn ard that
IL ought to he amended.
\ committee made M of representa-
tlyes or Charles Sc-ibner's Sons +. p
Du;ton. Putnams. Rrentauos Harpers.
podd. Mead & Co. Isaac Mendoza.
Theodor. r.. Schultz and othe- prominent
book concerns has taken steps to pre-
vent the ordinance going into effect IN
It's present form. They too hay" been
assured ~ the MAYOR that their COM
pain, {. Just and that the ordind' 4"
must he corrected
I, was originally provided that t1o
ord nance would ne effective on January
/ Mavor Mitchell approved ine ordO-
nance and then. after hearing the Jewel
lers and booksellers persuaded the A.
dermen 10 postpone the da'e OF ts OPP
Grafton unit, April !. That gives nm"
.or NOR. Investigation, which. as tho
MANOR thinks, Will result ~ = far o.H..
nance and not IN an oppressive one.
Recently several book dealers have
heen arrested by the police for failure -
take out a license The Magistrates have
dismissed or postponed AL such cases.