The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-04-13
Were Features Of Discus
sion on Rec : ion of
GasoJ' ( Sale
SOME D ,YnERs SAID
TR7 FREEZE-OUT
Aldermen Vote Favorably
on License System Aft
er Hearing Dealers


A proposed city license on gasoline
tanks and pumps, as contained in a
city ordinances which passed to sec.
l ond reading before the Barre board of
aldermen last night was the cause Of
considerable discussion although the or
. dinance proposal itself slipped along
, without debate by the members of tho
board. The tax as proposed is $50 a
year per pump and tank.
During the discussion by Others than
members of the board there were sug-
gestions of "gas" wars and efforts TO
run the other fellow out Of business.
w. R. Cameron of Washington street
declared that because he sold gas" two
cents cheaper than the big fellows
the latter were trying to drive him out
of business, and he said he understood
there were proposals to place tanks and
pumps on property close to his own
with the express purpose of doing so. 1t
developed in the course of the meeting
that two applications for tank pump
lpermits near the Cameron stand had
been made, although, of course, there
was nothing to indicate purpose to
start an offensive operation against Mr..
Cameron
In addition to Mr. Cameron, there
appeared James j. Hastings of North
Main street and c. A. Oliver of Oil
ver's Battery Station and Attorney L.
L. Scott, representing the former two
dealers in gasoline In obiecting to the
$50 license fee, Attorney Scott said he
did not doubt the city's legal author
Iity to impose the tax but he did think
| il was not right to assess the people
who wanted to engage in the business.
At any rate the fee in his opinion.
should not be more than s.. He said
the people dealing in gasoline were be-
ing taxed twice for living in the city
of Barre.
Where are the big garage men to-
night ?" asked Attorney Scott II don't
see any of them represented here to-
night" He then went on to insinuate
that Mr. Cameron was being made the
object OF prosecution because he per-
sisted in selling gasoline two cents
cheaper than the big fellows
At this point Mayor Langley inter-
posed the statement that Mr. Cameron
was not one of the little fellows" be-
cause Cameron sold more Standard
gas" last year than anybody else in
the city. Attorney Scott said that it
might be so. and Mr. Cameron admitted
later that he had a sizeable business in
gas but he insisted he was entitled
to sell it for what he called reason
able profit, his idea of reasonable prof
it being two cents per gallon instead
of four cents.
Attorney Scott went on to say that
four years ago Mr.. Cameron was ap-
preached regarding the practice of un-
derselling some of the other dealers.
He even declared that it had been tried
to get the Standard Oil Co 10 exert
pressure on him. but that the Stand
ard Oil people had replied that while
hey did not believe in war in gas"
hey did not propose to interfere in re-
ail prices.
When il came his turn 70 speak Mr..
cameron said he started business in
! small way on street where no mer-
'sntile business had bee located. that
~ had paid heavy taxes TO the city,
ha' he had built IN a cooa business in
-lrious iinrs, -Gat IL was handling
.asolire NJ a two-eett profit beoouse
r. bought that W9s enough "Now {
he said. "that there 40
eople. I'm not naming thom, who ara
oing TO put in pumps close 10 me with
view 10 driving me- out ot business
,re YOU going - pernii> this thing,
Mr. Oliver declared ne did not p-o-
ose to take up his .auk ard putap IL
he city taxed him FOR them ont Ale
:ice OF "gas 70 tie public would de-
emo good deal on the size Of .he j:
ense fee He had heard rumors Il gsss
. he as high as slj0 He said he had
cen content with u three cent proft On
asoliue but had heard that RI. price
as not wholly satisfactory TO AL the
callers Mr. OliIsr did not seem TeIey
Iuch opposed 60 a $50 fee Nor did NJ
ameron make any specific objection %
ich a sum Mr. Hastings LET Attorney
,ott talk Tor h,m
The upshot of the matter vas that
lc aldermen, after listening o the
atemenis. ordered the proposed ord.
,nce to a second reading
Gasoline tank aud pgup permits
ere applied for by G. A. Paqust. at
c corner Of Merchant and summer
reefs: Good Fellow. Inc 4l3 North
ain street: Il ". Goodfellow. les
ashing;on street: n D. Graves. I75
ashington street. All the tanks were
be sunk on private ground. The
mps 10 h. on the curb in the Wash
rton street cases The applications
.rc referred 70 the FIRE committee 20
,estigste and report: also the request
the I'VE Motor -. for reconsider
ion Of the councils refusal 70 grant
tank and pump permit IN front II
,ir Office in y Morse block. a. tAe
lk was 10 BE- on private land
More Motor vehicle Business
More business iu rria.ion 10 motor
liclcs and their motive power ap-
ired in the shape 81 a protest against
building ri the Fa~oia garage on
Rim street. j. being alleged that the
ldirr encrosched IN adjoining prop
y. The protest wss referred - TIE
ldiur Inspector The Good Fe-inE
was an applicant for a peruit -
air thr old Wti'coHb B-rz pant IT
rfh Mann street wiere is Proposes