Graffty v. City of Rushville

8 N.E. 609, 107 Ind. 502, 1886 Ind. LEXIS 381
CourtIndiana Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 5, 1886
DocketNo. 12,741
StatusPublished
Cited by39 cases

This text of 8 N.E. 609 (Graffty v. City of Rushville) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Graffty v. City of Rushville, 8 N.E. 609, 107 Ind. 502, 1886 Ind. LEXIS 381 (Ind. 1886).

Opinion

Mitciiell, J.

Subdivision 23 of section 3106, R. S. 1881, empowers cities incorporated under the general law of the State of Indiana, “To regulate the ringing of bells and crying of goods, and to restrain hawking and peddling.” Assuming to act under the authority thus conferred, the common council of the city of Rushville, on the 10th day of September, 1883, passed an ordinance of the tenor following: “ That every person who peddles, hawks, sells, or exhibits for sale, any goods, wares or merchandise, not the growth or manufacture of Rush county, Indiana, or shall take orders for any such goods, wares or merchandise, for immediate or future delivery, about the streets, alleys, hotels, business [503]*503-houses, private dwellings, or at any public or private place in. said city, without having paid the marshal from two to ■six dollars for each day, six to ten dollars for each week, and ten to twenty dollars for each month, at the discretion of the marshal, such person may desire to follow such business within said city, and receiving a permit therefor from the mayor of ■said city, shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined, forfeit and pay to said city a sum not exceeding ten dollars for each day :such person shall continue such business without receiving a permit as in this section set forth: Provided, That nothing in this section shall be construed to apply to any citizen of said city, or any commercial travellers, known as drummers, runners or agents, travelling for any wholesale house selling to dealers.”

James F. Graffty was found guilty of a violation of the foregoing ordinance, upon the complaint of the city of Rush-ville, which charged him with having, on the 4th day of September, 1885, unlawfully “taken orders from a citizen •of said city, whose name is unknown, for shirts, socks and .men’s furnishing goods, for future delivery, about the streets, mlleys and business houses within said city, the said shirts, socks and men’s furnishing goods, not being the manufacture, of Rush county, Indiana, * * * and the said James F. Graffty not being then and there a resident of said city.”

The evidence fairly tends to show that Graffty resided in Indianapolis, and was in the employ of Paul H. Krauss, a manufacturer of and dealer in shirts, underwear, and gentlemen’s furnishing goods, residing and having his business house in the city of Indianapolis.

The evidence reasonably tends to show that Graffty’s manner of business was to carry samples of the different articles manufactured or sold by his employer, and exhibit them from house to house, or from one business place to the other, to -individuals not dealers, soliciting orders from each individual ■for such articles and in such quantities as the individual might require or purchase. The goods thus ordered were to be do[504]*504livered at a future day by express or otherwise. Graffty delivered no goods, nor did ho carry with him any goods'except the sanrples.

The consideration of two questions is involved in the dis-cussion upon the errors assigned:

1. AVas the business of the appellant, conducted in the-manner described, within the jxrohibition of an ordinance,, such as might lawfully have, been enacted, under the statute-giving cities the power to restrain hawking and peddling ?

2. Was .the ordinance in question, which required license-only in case the goods, wares and merchandise, hawked or-peddled, were not the growth or manufacture of Rush county,, and only in case the hawker or peddler was not a resident of the city of Rushville, a valid exerrcise of power ?

Pertinent to the first proposition, it may be said, the effect of the ordinance under consideration can not be enlarged, limits operation rendered more comprehensive, by the attempt to bring within its terms pei’sons who sell, or exhibit for sale,, or those who take orders fox’, goods, wax’es and merchandise1 for futux’e delivery, unless Such sales or exhibitions are made in such manner as to constitute the pei’sons who make them, hawkers or peddlers. The extent of the power conferredxxpon cities by the statute, in this connection, is to restrain) hawking and peddling, and any xxxode of selling goods, which) does not legitimately fall within these terms, can not be nxadeunlawful by being specifically described and restrained in the-ordinance. Such sales and exhibitions of wares, and such order’s for the future delivery of goods, and such only as are-embraced by the terms hawking axxd peddling,” may be restrained by ordinaxxces duly passed, under the power conferred-by the statute above set out.

It becomes important, therefore, to inquire what constitutes a hawker or peddler.

In the case of Commonwealth v. Ober, 12 Cush. 493, Shaw. C. J., said : The leading primary idea of a hawker and. peddler is, that of an itinerant or travelling trader, who car[505]*505ries goods about, in order to sell them, and who actually sells-them to purchasers, in contradistinction to a trader who' has-goods for sale and sells them in a fixed place of business.”

The term “hawking” also embraces the business of one-who sells, or offers goods for sale, on the streets by outcry, or by attracting the attention of persons by exposing his-goods in a public place, or by placards, labels or signals.

Webster defines peddling as travelling about and selling-small wares, and hawking as offering for sale in the streets by outcry., Another definition runs thus: “A peddler, petty chapman, or other trading person going from town to town or to other men's houses, and travelling either on foot, or with horse or horses, or otherwise carrying to sell, or exposing to sale, any goods, wares, or merchandise.” Rapalje and Lawrence Law Dict., Tit. “ Hawker.”

In Jacob’s Law Dictionary, a definition, indicative of the disfavor in which the common law held the vocation, is as follows : “Hawkers. Those deceitful fellows who went from place to place, buying and selling brass, pewter and other-goods and merchandise, which ought to be uttered in open-market, were of old so called; and the appellation seems to-grow from their uncertain wandering, like persons that with hawks seize their game where thoy can find it. * * Hawkers, and peddlers, etc., going from town to town or house to house are now to pay a fine and duty to the King.”

The purpose of the statute, in empowering cities to jjass ordinances in restraint of hawking and peddling, was doubtless two-fold:

One end to be attained Ayas the protection and encouragement of local traders and merchants, who are largely dependent for their patronage on their reputation for integrity and fair dealing, and their social and moral standing in the community ; and who by investing their means in providing fixed places of trade, and paying taxes on their mei-chandise, help to build up and maintain the city in Ayhich they reside, and. [506]*506contribute to the support of its schools and other local interests 'and enterprises.

The other was to prevent the indiscriminate invasion of the houses and places of business of citizens, and shield them from the practices of itinerant traders of unknown repute, who are frequently patronized by persons, in order to be rid of their importunities and presence.

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Bluebook (online)
8 N.E. 609, 107 Ind. 502, 1886 Ind. LEXIS 381, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/graffty-v-city-of-rushville-ind-1886.