The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-06-22
ALI Peddlers Will Be Forced to Get
Licenses from Committee and Heavy
Fines Provided for Any Who May
Misrepresent Goods to Customers

6QQI6IS, WHU WUIh Ill dhA
the word "peddlerp is construed to
mean pretty nearly every one who has
anything to sell, will go under new
regulation in Kenosha on Thursday
when the new ordinance regulating
peddlers in the city becomes effective
by publication. 1t provides a regular
schedule of licenses to be paid by all
transient merchants governed by the
ordinance and it materially changes
the methods Of issuing these licenses.
The burden Of issuing licenses is plac-
ed on the shoulders of the license com
mittee of the common council. The
old plan of having the mayor issue per-
mits, or the city clerk issue licenses in
his discretion, has been cast into the
discard and in the future the licenses
will be issued only after the license
committee has acted on them.
The new ordinance is going to go q
long way toward driving from the
streets of Kenosha lot of people who
have been public nuisances in the past.
It's provisions cover practically all sorts
Of hawkers and peddlers. The only
people who are exempt from the opera
tions of the new license law are the
people who may offer for sale yege-
tables, poultry, eggs and meat and
other farm products raised on their
own farms. The hardest hit class is
the transient merchants who deal in
dry goods who have found in Kenosha
a happy hunting ground. These fell
lows have come into the city and have
worked, many of them without even
asking for a license and others who
have secured licenses have been per-
mitted to work under small fee The
new ordinance provides that men who
sell fruits and vegetables from wagons
shall pay the new license. 1t is also
effective on the tea and coffee COM
panies which have been doing big bust
ness by peddling in Kenosha. The
law provides that the annual license
to be paid by such peddlers is twenty
dollars for each wagon operated. The
same license prevails for travelling
peddlers. If they desire to work only
few days they must pay license Of
at least five dollars day. The ordi-
nance carries with it a penalty of d
fine of not less than five dollars and
costs for each offense with a jail sent
ence as the alternative Licenses will
not be transferable under the new ordi-
nance and every peddler having Ii
cense shall carry it with him so that
he may show it on the demand of any
person in the city.
The ordinance also provides big pen
alties for Misrepresentation or fraud
on the part of any peddler who shall
be working under such licenses in the
city and fines ranging up to fifty dol
lars and costs with appropriate Jail
sentences may be demanded in eases
where Misrepresentation are made by
the travelling peddlers.
The ordinance is one along broad
lines and it gives the members of the
license committee wide discretion in
regulating the peddling business in the
city. 1t is in keeping with suggestions
that have been made by trade organi-
cations in the city and it is thought
that it will go long ways toward
removing the complaints that have
been made by these organizations and
that at the same time it will be pro-
lection to the people of the city who
have been accustomed to deal with
such travelling peddlers.
Under the new ordinance Kenosha
will blaze new trail for the cities of
Wisconsin as the ordinance y regarded
as the mos! stringent Of the kind NOW
in effect in any city in the state. Tt
is not expected that the ordinance viii
bring to the city treasurer any great
amount in fees, but it is expected that
it will go long way toward eradieat-
| ing from Kenosha the peddler nuisance.
OPEN AIR DANCING.