ST. HILDA'S COMPLAINT

Evening Star, Issue 19437, 21 December 1926, Page 10

ST. HILDA'S COMPLAINT

HAWUIIiG WITHOUT LICENSES Complaint tlmt a, numherof hawkers were canvassing the district without paying a license foe, and were operating to tho detriment of shopkeepers who were ratepayers of the borough, was made by a deputation that waited on the St. ‘Kilda Borough Council at its meeting last night. It was pointed out that there was a by-law in force imposing a license fee on hawkers, and it was finally decided that this bylaw should bo more rigidly enforced. A petition signed by thirty-three shopkeepers of the borough drew attention to the number of _ unlicensed hawkers who were canvassing to the disadvantage of their business. Directly and indirectly they paid rates towards tho upkeep of the borough, and they asked the council to protect them hy levying a substantial registration fee on all hawkers canvassing the borough. Tho petition was presented by Messrs G. Brooks and W. Ritchie, and the mayor (Mr R. W. Hall ) explained that hawkers of perishable goods were liable for a fee of not more than 10s a year and for other goods th,e fee was not to exceed £1 a year. There were some people, however, who did some hawking in the borough without paying any fee, hut it was difficult to drop on them unless by mischance they should happen to call on the policeman. He agreed that the business people should be protected to a large extent, as they were ratepayers of tho borough. “ It is not fair that hawkers should ho allowed to move around the borough without paying something towards the upkeep of the roads,” said Mr Hall, and he added that people who found St. Kilda good ground for hawking should pay tho license fee. Cr E. Longworth: There are several tradesmen in the borough who might he termed hawkers, ns they go from house to house for orders. Mr Brooks: The business people are up against the individual hawking that goes on when there is a flush in the market. It is then that anyone gets a cart and goes hawking. Gr A. D. Edgar moved that the present by-law, which sets down a fee not exceeding IBs for hawkers of perishable goods, and not exceeding £1 for other goods, he enforced. Cr Beattie: It seems to mo that tho license fee is too small. Mr Ritchie: Well, why shouldn’t it he raised?

Tlio Mayor: We .have no power to raise the fee. It is not contained in a local by-law,; it is a Government by-law. The motion was carried.

All four strings of a violin can be played simultaneously • with a bow invented by Merman Borkoweki, of Berlin. The bow is flexible, and bends almost iffl a semi-circle over the violin. The _ little finger of the right hand manipulates a lever which loosens or tightens the bow strings according to the desire of'the player.

The proprietor of the new store in a crossroads village was Isaac Cohen. Business was far from good, and Isaac stood at the door of his store one morning gazing gloomily at the all hut empty street. A little girl, who had just turned the .corner, paused uncertainly before him, a crumpled dollar bill in ono hand. Instantly Isaac was all smiles. “ Say,” began the little girl, “ does my mamma owe yon a dollar? ’’ '“She docs, she docs! ” exclaimed Isaac. *'And—and—whose little girl are l°zT