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Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 103, 13 October 1877, Page 2

The Masteron Borough Council have given a very wide definition to the term " pedlar." From the comments made by the " News Letter " it appears that they apply the byelaw relating to pedlars, to all tradesmen who, m sending goods roundto their customers, send more than is actually required to supply the orders received. Thus a baker who carries m his cart a few loaves m excess of the requirements of his regular customers for the purpose of supplying chance demands would, according to the interpretation of the Council, H have to take out a hawkerls license. This is indeed stretching the bye-law ad absurdam. A moment's consideration should shew that the whole Bpirit of municipal regime is against such a provision as thjs. Municipal interference m matters of trade iB designed not to fetter but to promote it by balancing trade interests and making them conformable to the public interests. A handicap is placed upon the hawker because it is necessary for the protection of the shop-keeper that the itinerant vendor should be controlled. If the hawking trade, were to be encouraged it would probably grow at the expense of regular trade, and commerce would degenerate. But compare the chance out-door transactions of a baker or grocer with the trade of th 6 hawker who makes it his life business to parade, the streets and, so to speak, take the wind out of the shopkeeper's sails. These transactions are simply the measure of latitude that should j be allowed to every useful trade for the sake of public convenience and they are of too a trifling a character to trench upon other interests. An interference with them to; the extent of imposing a hawker's license fee is as unwarrantable as it is absurd. Certainly it is possible that a storekeeper, owning a horse and cart, might really^ry to do a hawking trade under cover of his regular- business. When such a case occurs it will be for the Council to deal with that case, but it is no part of tlreir^duty to strain their rules to fit a class of persons whom they were never intended, to fit. If m like manner the Council m other matters adopt the principle o£ trying what meaning their rules may be made to convey instead of what meaning they, m a common sense point of view, dp convey, we fear that the liberties of the burgesses will be sadly interfered with. The Council have also m? eluded strolling actors and performers under the term "pedlars^" and such will henceforth have to take out a. hawker's license before they can perform m Masterton. What an admirable grouping h thi», storekeepers, pedlars, : actors and lecturers forming together a happy fraternity of the genus pedlar, and pursuing their various callings by .virtue of a common charter, a .hawker's license. Yet there is some method m the madness of the civic magnates. Since strolling performers will visit Magterton and leave it poorer than they found it, the Council are simply placing an import tax upon them, so $hat some pence of the ravished pounds may be left behind. Tx> do this 'they must of course go- beyond the four corners of their bye-law, but, the burgesses will forgive them.