Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-11-05
LICENSE ORDINANCE
WILL BE ENFORCED
Retail Merchants Association Warns
Transient Dealers That Tulsa
VIII Bc Poor Picking.
lHy GEOKGE z. LAMY.


From now until Christmas "itin-
Grant mcrCbaNls' usually fairy flock
10 the city Of Tulsa 10 pcddIc their
wares. Yes. We bay "peddle," be-
cause these "trdnsIentB' come here,
some renting stores, others merely
using Il room In one VI the hotels
from which they proceed TO work
the city"
None Of them remain for a period
longer than ~ 10 80 days, during
which time nothing Is paid TO the
city Of Tulsa aS a tax Or license for
the privilege Of doing business.
BcsIdes, not "A cent ls contributed
by th'nI to help meet the heavy war
budget expense. allotted TO Tulsa.
Yet they come here and illegally
enCrUaCh on the business OF legitl-
mate Tulsa mcrChants---firms and
individuals who, year after year,
have paid their fun share OF the
upkccp expenses Of our well-grOOmed
city. and VINO. AZ Is well known, are
generously supporting every war
fund campaign
We are, therefore, addressing this
frank and open letter. having a
double purpose in view.
FIRST. We want to make our warn
that city ordinance No. 1892 will
from now on be strictly enforced.
The council OF defense, the city
attorney Of Tulsa. the. police depart
ment and the Retah Merchants as
sDciation have united to see to II
that no offender Of this law will cs-
cape the most severe prosecution.
Tulsas war budget which We all
know the merchants are called upon
10 share the largest burden Of. Is
entirely too heavy 10 allow these
parasites" to come here and virtu-
ally steal business that belongs TO our
home enterprises.
We ali know that when business
that rightfully belongs to Tulsa goes
into other channels, the legitimate
merchants OF Tulsa are thus handi-
capped in fulfilling a duty in help
ing to meet the war expenses.
Furthermore, II is an Injustice TO
the city Of Tulsa, as well as the mSn-
chants Of the city, to allow "a situa-
tiUn like this to continue.
II these visitors" would only be-
come citizens Of Tulsa. share in the
expense and responsibility OF city
taxes, and help Tulsa meet her bud
get expense, they would find the glad
hand OF welcome awaits them, and
the retail merchants association both
ready and willing TO help them in
every way possible to make their
business "A success.
But It Is not fair. it Is no: Just. to
allow them to come here and DO
business unless they become leYiti-
mate Tuisans like the merchants who
are established here ana have in.
vested their capital m real estate,
merchandise and employees.
Nor, Is IT fair and just on the part
OF Tulsans to give them encourage
ment by making purchases. particu-
larly since there is not an article
they offer for sale that some Tulsa
enterprise cannot supply to equal, II
not better advantage, no matter who
they are or where they came from.
These are days for calm deliber-
alton.
They are also days when each OF
us must do our duty-first to the
national government, then to the
state and civic government, and then
TO the merchants and citizens Of our
home city.
Nowhere in the country today Is
there another Tulsa! And nowhere
Is there another city where the pros
poets OF growth and prosperity are
quite as promising as right here.
Still. unless we keep Tulsa made
wealth in circulation here and see to
II that Tulsa dollars are not shipped
away, our dreams of making Tulsa
the ranking city of the south and
west cannot be realized.
Will you cooperate? We know
you will and that is why We have
made this letter SO very plain and
frank