Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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THE LICENSE ORDINANCE. The Herald and News has said nothing in regard to the license or dinance recently adopted by conn cil. We did not know that council wai considering such action until the ordinance was adopted. We understand that nearly all the cities and towns of this State have some sort.of a license ordinance, and tbat the city attorney, in the prepara tion of the ordinance adopted by council had several of the ordi nances of these other towns and cities before him for comparison. and that the license charges in the Newberry ordinance are much lower.than in most towns. When the ordinance was pub lished a number of citizens imme diately began to protest. Soon a petition was circulated calling a citizens meeting to consider the ordinance. The constitution of the State guarantees "the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government or any de partment thereof for a redress of grievances." No one questions that right. The citizens' meeting was largely attended. The action of this meet ing is given in detail in another column. We do not see much need of these citizens' meetings, for we are sure that council would be glad to listen to any complaints or to make any amendments to the ordinance which may be just and proper. That there are inequalities in this particular ordinance is true, and there will be after the citizens are heard, as there have been in all systems and plans of assessment and taxation since government was or ganized and taxes laid and will be until human society reaches a much higher plane than it .is on at present. It looks to us, for instance, that if the license is to be laid in pro portion to the business done or the capital stock that it is not exactly equitr')e that an institution with a capital of$5o,ooo shonld be charged $50, while another institution with $4oo,ooo capital should be charged -only $100. Then a real estate agent who may sell only one piece of -property in twelve months has to pay as much as lawyers who may do a practice of $ro,ooo a year and sell all the real estate they please -and make transfers. But these defects, if they are de fects, can be remedied from time to time and we are now inclined to think the license ordinance is the proper way to raise some revenne rather than increase the levy which would be necessary, because an in crease of the levy would fall on the business men who had property while it would let others who had no property come in here and trans act business and take money away from the town and leave none here. It is necessary to have more money and a license tax is preferable to an increase of the levy. In fact 'the levy cannot be increased as it is up to the limit, though two years ago it was fixed above the limit and no one protested. There are those who think it will do good to have these meetings in order to get at the exact financial condition of the town. The city council has published during the past year quarterly statements of the financial condition of the city showing the sources of income and the expenditures. And the books are open at all times to any citizen, but it can do no harm to have an investigation and it should extend to all the finances of the city. For instance, we would like to see a full statement from the commissioners of public works. The city has to pay $3,ooo for water and lights for the streets and besides the price to the i::dividual consumer is higher than most towns and cities of similar size. In Greenwood, the individia' consumer pays i2]g ceuts pCr thousad gallons for water and in the same proportion for lights while we pay 30 cents per thousand gal Ions for -water. In Greenwood the city does not have to pay ior water or lights. The plant is owned by the city just as ours is, but the water and lights to individual con sumers pay running expenses and at about half the rate we pay. and yet the town here pays S5,ooo per year, and in addition it costs about $i ,ooo for kerosene lights. We suggest that this committee advise the people of the cost of operating the plant here and why it should be so much more than in other places. The Herald and News is glad that something has happened which has gotten the business men to gether. We have 1een trying tor a long time to get them 'together, but with little resuit. When vou touch the pocket you touch the main spring of action. So we look for good to come out of all of this and there is no necessity for any one to lose his temper. The people have a right to assemble to petition for a redress of grievances, real or imaginary, and to call upon their servants, the officials, for a state ment of the financial condition of the city and this can be done with out the slightest intimation of re flection upon any one. A public officer should at all times be ready for the fullest investigation, and we have no doubt this is true of the officials of this city, so let us all keep in a good humor, and call down to see the city treasurer and put up the coin for the amount of the license fixed in the ordinance. THE [GARETS VERSUS THE MEN. 'To cigarette smoking by boys is attributed by a high medical expert in England the deterioration of the classes among which recruits must be songht for the British army. The majority of the new soldiers sent to South Africa are reported as of low intelligence and it is said that three years of good feeding wil. e :,quired to make them capa ble of a day's work. "Headaches, bad memory, slow ness of thought, dyspepsia, poor blood, short breath, pains in the heart and bad temper are among the pleasant consequences officially at tributed to the cigarette habit. It may be added unofficially from gen eral experience that the pap~er burn ing fiend makes himself an i11 savo red and unpleasant associate for those forced into his presence on crowded street cars or other places 'out of the open.' "-New York World. Respectfully referred to the pres dent and faculty of Trinity Col lege, the hot bed of free thought. Spartanburg Herald. It might with equal propriety be referred to the thousands of young men all over the country who are addicted to the cigarette habit. There is as much reason for making war on cigarettes as there is for fighting whiskey, if not more, for whiskey has some good uses to which it may be put and we have not heard even the cirgarette fiend undertake to give any good reason for the use of the cigarette or any good it does. We had never thought of it be fore, but the city is paying for lights Ifor the streets over $6,ooo per year and then we have only a moonlight schedule. We are afraid the license ordi nance is going to break up the "boneyard." That has been a part of salesdays for many years and we regret that the ordinance will act as prohibitive. We protest against this. The Leislaoure m=ets rext Tues day. This is a good time to sub scribe to the Herald & News. We shall endeavor to keep mur readers posted by a special letter in each iSnc of the doings of this body. Senator Latimer has introduced his good roads bill, which we pub lish in another column. If it goes through, and the chances are it will, we should place ourselves in position to get some of the appro priation. The question of road im provement is a national question and is being agitated in all the States. The citizens' meeting protested against an increase of taxes and at the same time passed a resolution unanimously requesting council to make an expenditure of from $1500 to $2,000 for the purpose of pre renting a panic in case of an alarm of fire. This is a proper thing to do but to do it will take an outlay of money. Under the new license ordinance the horse and mule dealers ho come here from Kentucky and other places have to pay a license to do business just as our own citi zens have been doing all along. Heretofore these traders, while they may have done as much business as our local men, paid no tax at all. When you come to look at it the ordinance is alright. Notice. I WILL RECEIVE SEALED BIDS for Henderson's and Gordon's ferries on or before January 23d. JNO. M. SCHUMPERT. Ccunty Supervisor. NOTICE. I will receive bids until the 22d of January for keeper of the county home, and for physician to give medical at tention when called upon, county to furnish all medicine. J. M. Schumpart, Dounty Supervisor. LICENSE ORDINANCE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, THE TOWN OF NEWBERRY. FOR THE PURPOSE OF MEETING in part the current expenses of the Town government of the Town of New berry, in the State of South Carolina, for the fiscal year beginning January 1st, 1904, and to meet in part such other indebtedness of said Town as may become due in said fiscal year: There fore, be it ordained by the Mayor and Aldermen of the Town of Newberry, in said State, in council assemtled and by authority of the same: SECTIoN 1. That no person or per sons, firm, corporation or corporations, shall engage in, prosecute or carry on any caling, trade, busmness, occupation. or urofession hereinafter mentioned witiin the cornorate limits of said Town at any time during said year without having first paid to said Town a license or privilege tax therefor as follows, to wit:. Agents for, or dealers in fertil izer for sale....... ........ $20 00 Agents for, or dealers in pianos and organs (eithei- or both).. 10 00 Agents for, or dealers in sew ing machines (connected with other business or alone)...... 20 00 Agents for, or dealers in lighten ing rods ....................... 25 00 Agents for, or dealers in coal. 5 00 Agents for, or dealers in maps, books, newspapers, periodicals and other like articles (other than licensed merchants who deal in same) per day $5.00 or per year............--------.-..20 00 Agents for enlarging pictures per day $5.00, or per year-... 20 00 Agents for retailing goods per day $-5.00, or per year....... 100 00 Agents or dealers selling mules, or horses, or cattle, either or all three, at public auction only, per day $25.00, or per_ year ....................---- 00 0 Agents or dealers (other than licese sales stables) selling mules or horses, either or both, per week, $6.00, or per year... 25 00 Agents or dealers in fruit trees per week $2.00, or per year . 10 00 Agents for, or dealers in real estate; selling or renting (other than licensed lawyers) 5 00 Bakeries ............... ----- -.... 5 00 IBall. public (when admission fee is charged) per night ..... ... 2 00 Bak, aitlzd at $50,000, or less........................ 5000 Banks, for every $10,000 capital in excess of $50,000........... 10 00 Barber, for each shop ........... 5 00 Blacksmiths, for each shop... 5 00 Bill poster..........-------.... 15 00 Bootblacks, in barber shops, ho tels or elsewhere, each......1 00 Boot or Shoe shop, miaking.orre Botting wok,soda water or ottnerws... ........... 10 00 Building and Loan Associations; savings or investment comn panies, and all companies or. co rations (except licensed -sega ged,4 in the sale or purcnase of real estate, or loanitr money rin real estate or 0 cI2. .--.---....... 25 00 1'oarir.g i:ouse. public .............. 5 00 Bol l:icensed as mer hi, ' udiz::-~ Wee.K,....o(t !)LIL year ..........100 :rcus, viti, or without menage 6:,. with street pa . de'. ....... .... ...... ......... 100 00 . V-e. W46ara e izione......... ......... 50 00 For each sidi- show, per day. 10 00 Cleaning, dressing or dyeing clothes (other than licensed tailors, .. ...... ............... 2 50 Con. oea!ers, (alone or in connee ion with other business)........ 5 00 Contractors or builders, (for con tracts under $500).................. 5 00 Contractors or builders, for contracts over $500 and not ex ceeding $2,500.............. . 10 00 Contractors or builders for con tracts over $2,500 and not ex ceeding $5,000........................ 15 00 Contractors or builders for con tracts over $5,000 ................. 25 00 Commission merchants or com mission brokers, each or each firm and for each place of busi ness ... .......................... 25 00 Cotton mills or factories, for each $50,000, or fractional part thereof of its capital stock..... 12 50 Cotton seed oil mills ........ ....... 50 00 Cotton seed oil mlls that manu facture fertilizers .... ... ... ... 60 00 Cotton gin and press, 1 to 5 gins inclusive ...... ........... 10 00 Cotton gin and press, over 5 gins, for each additional gin over .5 .............................. 1 00 Cotton buyer. for each place of business..... ................ . 10 00 Cotton seed buyer .................... 5 00 Cotton weigher ... ... ........... 5 00 Conve.-.ncer, drawing deeds, mortgages or contracts for compensation (other than 1i censed lawyers) .................... 5 00 Dentists,or tooth extractors each 5 00 Dogs, upon each and every dog the owner or person upon whose premises the same is kept shall pay the sum of...... 1 00 Druggists, licensed as merchants Exchange, bucket shop (firm, individual or corporation) car rying on the business of deal ing in options and futures in cotton,- grain, provisions, or other supplies, on margins or otherwise ................... 50 00 Express companies, each, for business done within the town of Newberry, and not including business done for the United States Go--ernment, or any business done to and from points beyond the limits of this State ............................. 50 00 Flying jenny.............. . 50 00 Flying jenny for less time than 1 year at the rate of $10.00 per week. Fresh fish.. ............................. 10 00 Hotels, each............................ 15 00 Horse or mule traders (other than licensed sale stables)...... 25 00 Horse or mule trader, transient 'per week................................ 6 00 Ice dealers, retail, each house or place of business............... 5 00 Insurance companies, each, life, fire or accident................ 10 00 Junk shop, or scrap iron dealer 5 00 Jewelers,. licensed as merchants Kerosene or other oil companies having an agency or office in the town of Newberry, or a stationary or portable tank or tanks for receiving and storig oil, selling or delivering oil within the limits of said Town, each ............ ........ 100 00 Kerosene oil companies or agen cies having no stationary or portable tanks, but selling in original packages, each ... \50 00 Knitting mills.................. 20 00 Laundry, steam, or agent for st.eam laundry................ 10 00 Lawyers, each...............a 00 Lumber yards, or dealers....... 10 00' Livery, feed and sale stables. 25 00 Marble yard................ ..10 00 Merchants: All merchants shallI pay a license or privilege tax according to the following schedule of gross sales (cash and credit) and upon sworn returns the gross sales for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1903, shall be the basis upon which said license or privilege tax shall be com puted and paid: Sales amounting to $1,000 or _ under................-.--------.. o 00 Sales over$1,000 and under $3,000 10 00 Sales amounting to $3,000 and under $5,000................1 00 Sales amounting to $5,000 and under $10,000 ................. 15 00 Sales amounting to $10,000 and 1 under $20,000................ 20 00 Sales amounting to $20,000 and under $30,000............... 25 00 Sales amounting to $30,000 and under $40,000............... 30 00 Sales amounting to $40,000 and under $50,000............... 35 00 Sales amounting to $50,000 and under $60,000.... ............ 40 00 Sales amounting to $60,000 and under $70,000.................. 45 00 Sales amounting to $70,000 and. under $80,000................0 00 Sales amounting to $80,000 and under $90,009 .... ...... ..... oo 00 Sales amounting to $90,000 and under $100,000................ 60 00 Sales amounting to $100,000 and under $110,000................ 65 00 Sales amounting to $110,000 and under $130,000............----7 00 Sales amoonting to $130,000 and over ..............---..... 85 00 Merchants: All merchants who may not come within any of the foregoing classes. by rea son of their not having been in business during the whole of the fiscal year ending Decem ber 31st, 1903, but have been in business in said town during part of said year, shall pay a lnsme or priieg tax upon their estimated gross sales for the year, said estimate to be made or computed upon the basis of ross sales, upon sworn statements, for the time such merchant or merchants have been engaged in business in said town during the fiscal year ending December 31st, 1903, the rate or license shall be the same as that fixed in the foregoing schedule for merchants. '. erchant : And all merchants not embraced in any of the foregoing classes who may be ing business in said town on or aftnr the first day of Janu ary, A. D. 1904, shall pay a license or privilege tax of...... 15 00 Manufacturers of coffins ........... 25 00 Newspapers, each...... ......... 500 Newsboys, selling papers on street, each ....... ...... . 1 00 Occulist or optician, per week $5.00, per year ...........%.... ..... 25 00 Printing office, job ................ 5 00 P;ano and organ tuner or re pairer, per month $3.00, per - year ................... 8 00 Photographers, for each place of business ........ ...-... ............ 5 00 Photographers, itinerant, per week ............... ... o 00 Physicians ...... ................. ...... 5 00 Physicians, itinerant, per month 10 00 Restaurant .......................... ... 5 00 Stable- sale only ........ ....... ... 20 00 Tailor, merchant . .. ............... 500 Tailors, not merchant, engaged in making or repairing, or either ...... ............ 5 00 Telegraph Companies or Agen cies, each for business done within the Town of Newberry, and not including any business done for the United States government, or any business done to or from points beyond the limits of this State . ... 100 00 Telephone Companies, for busi ness done exclusively within the Town of Newberry, and not including any business done for the United States government, or any business done to or from points beyond the limits of this State......... 100 00 Undertakers or Embalmers, either or both........................ 8 00 Warehouse, for storage by the public................................... 2500 Wood yard . ............................. 500 SEC. 2. That for any calling, trade, business, occupation, or profession not enumerated or provided for in this or dinance or any other ordinance of said Town now of force, the license shall be regulated and imposed by the Town Council of said Town at any meeting of the same. SEC. 3. That the Town Council of said Town hereby reserves the right to re fuse or revoke any license for any cause which may seem to it just. SEC. 4. That any person, firm or corporation making any false or fraud ulent return, where a return is neces sary or required under this ordinance, shall, upon conviction, be punished as hereinafter'provided, for the violation of this ordinanec or any part thereof. SEC. 5. That whenever in this ordi nance the term "dealer" is used the same. shall include not only the princi pal, but in his, her or their absence shall include any agent, clerk or em ployee managing the busines% respec tively referred to; and generally, where a license is herein imposed upon any business and the same is carried on or conducted by an agent, clerk or em ployee, such agent, clerk or employee, shall be subject to the penalties im posed in this ordinance for its violation, should the said business be carried on without taking out such license, in the same raanner as if he, she, or they were the proprietor or proprietors of said business. SEc. 6. Any violation of this ordi nance or any part thereof shall subject the offender or offenders each to a fine not exceeding one hundred dollars, or to imprisonment with or without hard labor upon the streets or other public works of said Town for a period not ex eeeding thirty days, at the discretion of the court. SEC. 7. That any person or persons, firm or corporation, or the agent, clerk. or employee in charge of or managing the same, who shall engage in, prose cute or carry on any calling, trade,. business, occupation or profession upon which a license or privilege tax may hereafter be imposed by the Town. Council of said Town, without first hav ing taken out a license therefor, shall,. upon conviction, be each fined in a sum not exceeding one hundred dollars, or imprisoned with or without hard labor upon the streets or other ;public work of said Town for a period not exceedins thirty days, at the discretion of the court. SEC. 8. That each day any person or persons, firm, or corporation shall vio late this ordinance or any part thereof,. by reason of any failure or refusal to take out any license herein provided for, shall constitute a separate offense,. and such offeuder, or offsnders, shall be for each day's offense subject to the penalties herein provided. SEC. 9. That this ordniance shall.not opeate as a repeal of any ordinance of said town now of force imposing a lh cense or privilege tax upon any calling, trade, business, occupation or profes sion, except such part or parts only, of said ordinance or ordinances now of force as may impose a license upon any calling, business, occupation or profes sion herein specifically named or enu merated. SEC. 10. This ordinance shall be of force and effect on and after the first day of January, A. D. 1904. Done and ratified under the corprate seal of the Town of New rry, L.s.] in the State of South Carolina,. a this 30th day of December, A. D. j 1903. ;:-aJNO. W. EARHARDT, &~~Mayor of Newberry, S. C. Attest: as T. 0. STEWART,