The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1921-07-07
THE LICENSE PROBLEM

River Highway has brought us pei
picking problems along with innumera
ble;benefits. None of them are Of
graver nature than that now confront
ing the city council-the licensing o
itinerant peddlers and those who pl
other trades. One fact outstands, tn
old ordinances governing such activtie
are wholly out of date and inadequate
The merchants of Hood River hav'
borne large portion of the cost of de
veloping the town. Public thorough
fares, modern conveniences of business
of every sort, rural highways and at
fractions that have resulted in heavy
population now exist. The merchant
himself is largely responsible. All OF
these are features that attract the itin-
ernt. License fees that permit timer
ants to come here by payment of a
mere pittance work a gross injustice
on merchants whose annual taxes, util-
lied in maintaining Hood River on a
standard that we have come to demand,
reach huge sum. We're they elimin-
ated Hood River would retrograde to a
shameful depths of poverty, we fear.
The proposed revision of the ordinance
must bring about parity.
However. in this matter of the in
creased license fees. we would not
have it appear that the merchants of
Hood River have set about arbitrarily
to hedge themselves in through protec-
tive ordinances that that in effect ere
ate local monopoly. We are approach
ing problem in psychology. If the
buying public gains the impression that
such policy is proposed, it will tend to
send many away to shop in Portland,
whether they get more for thier money
or not. And we would urge that the
public, in consideration of the license
problem, view it from all angles. The
merchants are demanding that the fly
by-night huckster be made to pay an
equitable proportion of the cost of
maintaining conditions that actually
bring him here. The public itself should
not demand the privilege of buying at
intervals a few cheap commodities at |
the price Of ultimately condemning
Hood River merchandising institutions.
Nor should the merchants set about to
build up a protective wall absolutely
prohibitory, for such action will react
to his ultimate disadvantage. The |
problem, a touchy one, in the final
analysis is merely one of eliminating
the unfair competition that now exists.
We might say, that exists potentially.
The activities of peddlers to date,
while they have created good deal of
talk have not created any great furry
in merchandising circles. The buying
public may have criticised adversely on
thoughtless contemplation of the mat
ter, hut when they stop to analyZe the
pedder's visits, they see how most Of
his product is of an oyeripe grade,
sold at sacrifice and then otfered.by
the peddlers at prices below the cur
rent quotations of standard fruits or
other articles. The peddler's license
fee itself is far too small here and the
operators who have already come
should be forced TO pay greater per
centage of their earnings toward city
support.
1t is what the peddling business may
develop into that alarms merchants.
Under existing conditions, with the
low licenses, those selling goods in
Hood River would find it more profit
able TO close the doors of costly estab-
lishments, on which they pay high
taxes, and supply street wagons daily
from out of town depots. They could
thus reap heavy profits and:be put to
no other expense than the piflling IL
cense fee.
What applies to the mercantile es-
tablshments also applies to the motion {
picture business. We do not believe 4
we would go so far as Mr.. Kolstad ;
suggests and keep out tent shows of /
merit altogether. We would apply q
rules of an ordinance that wo1ld leave 2
a more just portion of their net re {
ceipts in the Golfers of the city treas i
ury. They should be made to pay in
to the tax payments Of and q
other such demands on Mr. Kolstad.
The motor bus and motor truck phase y
of the licensing problem is very differ v
ent from those discussed above. Ulti- q
mately, we believe, such business will a
be directed under the Public Service "
Commission or some similar body. n
Such transportation companies as the v
Fashion Stables. and the Sheppard's
bus line with which [lhey cooperate.
responsible institutions, which provide n
protection for their passengers and the d
general motoring public, deserve every Il
and protection from v
The pirating, irresponsible concern that N
seeks a harvest in the season Of heavy c
traffic and crowd TO uncomfort the "a
highways with their conveyances. The a
granting Of an exclusive franchise is y
listasteful TO Us, but under circum-
stances We believe the tine will ar
i've in no distant future. when the P
tate Will take over the control Of such p
and demand the operation Of s,
motor buses under franchise. Mabye W
lot exclusive. but under such,restric- Il
ions as 70 draw dows the limits Of the y,
usiness from the present mad scram- b,
le for fares. We quote the following