The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-04-21
Many Changes will Be Made
From Existing
Figures.
ARE AFTER AUGTI0NEERS
Some Reductions Will Be
Necessary to Conform
to State Change.

A license ordinance prepared BY
City Clerk Albert Kern and 10 be SUB,
mitred to the City Board of Affairs ut
the meeting next Monday morning by
Finance Commissioner J. water
Barnes Is now ready for that board.
Tile changes in the new ordinance
Affecting costs of licenses IN fairmont
arc numerous. Many have been re.
duced and an almost equal number
have been raised. The city, should the
lordinance be accepted and passed by
| the council, will show net gain on
Its books over the old license prices.
This proposed ordinance will be put
! before the board next Monday Tor me
1 purnuse OF getting IL ready 10 submit
| 10 the CITY Council at its monthly
I meeting. the first Monday IN May.
| Should this ordinance pass the board
aud manage TO live over the iirst Mon
| day In May without having been We
toed, the law will be effective July |,
1916.
The old license laws OF Falrmont In
| many cases called for taxes higher
| than that enforced by the state law.
It is against the laws Of the state ior
city to charge higher fees than the
state does but the books Of the city
| OF FafrmonL show that the practice
of collecting higher charges has been
going on right along. This Will
terminate when the board takes actioh
on the proposed ordinance.
CITY Clerk Kern, who worked with
Ihis department force for some time on
the ordinance. feels that II will har-
monte with those of other cities in
| the state that are relatively as large
las Fairmont and that there will be no
complaints from the business men OF
| the city as they have been getting
| licenses cheaper here than in other
cities. The license rates Of Clarksburg.
! Wheeling, Parkcrsburg. Charleston
land Fairmont were compared. The AZ
erage arrived at in many cases was
taken as the ground for the new
charges. In Charleston and Wheeling,
drug stores pay $40 per year license. In
other cities the price is 81. The state
! tax is s.. Thus does Fairmont charge
| So, Other taxes were arrived at III q
! similar manner. except the tax TO he
I charged 10 untaXed merchandise which
| may be sold or attcm0tcd TO be sold
| by auctionecrs.
/ Fairmont merchants have complain.
! cd on several occasions TO the city
that every time auCtiOneers come here
! to sell goods to ITairmonters, they not
only sell the goods on hand, hut plr.
chase. receive and sell other goods as
| long as the buying remains profit
able. There are times when stores are
! closed on account of failure to meef
/ their liabilities that such stores are
sold at public auction. Information has
been furnished the Business Mems
| association that as soon as the auc'
tion Ii announced more goods arc
bought and later sold. which goods
have not been taxed. This procedure
does not meet the approval of the
business men here and for that reason
, there will he inserted in the new or
iinancc q clause which forces all auc-
tion managers to first get permit
of the city clerk. 1t Is also left in the
power of the city clerk to question
and make to answer under oath those
as TO whether the goods they intend
to sell are taxed or untaxed. Should
any goods be found at any auction
which has been declared taxed and It.
is later proved TINT such goods were
not taxed. the obtainer OF the permit
is liable 10 a fine not exceeding $100
nor less than $25, and may also be
confined to jail for not moro than 30
days. Tho proposed rates as they will
be submitted TO the board next Mon
day follow:
Auction goods per $500, SO; auc.
tioneer, $50; automobiles. each car,
$5; banker tprivate), $25; billiard
table first, $50; billiard table, each
a hitional. SIS; bowling alley, first,
$40: bowling alley, each additional,
S16; broker. money. $25; bucket shop,
$500; capItation tax. 50; carnival each
show per week, So; chauffeur (regis.
tration) So; cigarettes and tobacc1,
$40; circus, etc. each exhibition. $50;
collection agency. $40; dog. male. So;
dog. female, So; Dog and Pony show.
each exhibition $40; drays, one horse.
81; drays, two horses. 81; drays, three
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