991806

MR. PRESIDENT:

Your Committee on Police License & Revenue to whom was referred the within petition begs to report favorably on same to reduce the Licenses to the sum of Five Hundred.

Adopted B of A Aug. 6/94 J. Eugene Jordon Chairman A. Andersen Committee

[Centered] TO THE HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL, OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE. ___________________________

The undersigned retail liquor dealers, doing business in the City of Seattle, respectfully submit as follows:

They are required to have paid a license fee of Six hundred (600) Dollars a year. This amount was fixed at a time when business was generally in a flourishing condition. Within the past two years, however, trade has everywhere seriously declined, and the liquor dealers have suffered severely in consequence.

No reduction, has, however, been made in the amount of the license fee, and many liquor dealers find themselves obliged to withdraw from business, unless the burdens upon them can be lessened.

Your petitioners represent to you that as a body they are lawabiding citizens, and the business is conducted in Seattle with less trouble and disorder than in any large city in the United States.

Two important departments of the City, the library and the parks, depend entirely for support upon one-tenth of the licenses, fines and fees, and their income has been greatly impaired, mainly because of the reduction of the number of men in businesses which pay license fees.

We feel satisfied that if the fee were reduced to $400 a year not only would it prevent several establishments closing up, but would add to the number doing business. The result would be an increased revenue to the City.

The license fee of $600 is higher than in the majority of cities of the size of Seattle. The power to license is given cities for the purpose of regulating trades and not for the purpose of driving people out of business.

We, therefore, respectfully petition your honorable body to reduce the license for sale of liquor by retail, from $600 a year to $400,

And your petitioners will ever, & c.,

William Mc Ardle Pres. L.D. P. A. Otto Drumm F & C Sec. Oscar Stenstrom Rec. Sec.