The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-01-07
Change in City Schedule In- creases the Burden on
 the Big Stores
TAX NOW DEPENDS ON VALUE OF THE STOCK
Formerly Small Dealers Were Com pelled to Have Separate License on Practically Every Con-
 mOdity Handled

| This afternoon at o'clock the protest of the merchants against the new license schedule will be heard by the city com mission in the council chamber of the city 1 hall
 1 The subcommittee of the merchants ano allied commercial organizations composed of M V. Joseph, Murray Brown, c. w Green, J. M. McLester and J. D. Moore arranged for the hearing on the inequali- ties of the new privilege schedule with l the city commissioners. It is likely that ] there will be large delegation of the 1 merchants and representatives of the allied mercantile bodies of the city al the hearing this afternoon, to add pres tge and the proper persuasion on the commission as a whole.
 The complaint of the larger merchants is that the new schedule makes exorbi- i, tant charges. The new schedule, it will be remembered, now charges a graduated tax on merchants stocks on hand. Pre- viously a license was charged on> nearly every commodity sold.
 SOUGHT EQUALIZATION
 Owing to the fact that small corner gro- ceries were charged several license fees and it was deemed unfair the city com mission revised the entire tax schedule in regard to merchants with the idea of se- curing equaliza tion That is, only one license is now charged, no matter what variety of goods is sold. This one privi- lege tax, however is on the entire stock nf ha t,1pT b1 mt ic teI al So much the hundred dollars.
 All the small merchants in this city fought for the equalization of the license schedule, and it was hailed by them with delight when passed a week ago. How ever, the large merchants suddenly dis covered that one very salient clause in the old license law had been removed. In the old license schedule the tax was charged only on stocks that ran up to $5o'0OO. In the new schedule the tax is graduated on stocks which as far as the commissioners are concerned can run up in the millions. This is the alleged exor- bitant and unfair method used by the city commission in equalizing the license schedule. This is the point that will be fought over this afternoon.
 The new license schedule was drawn up largely by Commissioners Ward and Barber. These two commissioners say they will stand pat on the attitude they have taken.
 SOME HARDSHIPS
 However, in a few cases, such as a large wholesale jobbing house, both Com missioners Ward and Barber recognize that their new tax schedule works a hardship and costly one. For such cases as these and where there is merit to the contentious of the complainant, it IS understood that some concessions will be made.
 The first break on the new license schedule came last Tuesday. when the tax was removed from the business colleges of the city, Commissioners Weatherly, Hordnady and Truss voted against taxing the business colleges and Commissioners Ward and Barber voted to retain the l- cense. At that time Commissioner Ward. it is claimed, was strongly tempted to use his veto power in resembling the action of his colleagues, but finally decided against such action. Under the new law President Ward can veto any action taken by the commissioners, and it requires the votes of all the other four members to go over his head