Johnston v. State
Johnston v. State
Opinion of the Court
The theory of the state was that the defendant’s method of selling his wares was an attempted evasion of the revenue laws of the state. The law abhors dodgers, and will not tolerate subterfuges. In passing on this appeal, this court cannot do better than to quote at length the opinion of the learned judge trying the case, which is here quoted and adopted, as follows:
“He is employed by the Jewel Tea Company, a_ foreign corporation, upon a salary payable to him weekly. That he drives a wagon owned by them. That he makes regular trips and has *426 regular customers. That he visits each place every two weeks. That on each trip he delivers to his customers, if they desire to receive and pay for, the articles for which he did on his previous trip receive a verbal order. That if the customer states to him that he does not desire the goods which had been ordered, he is not bound to take them. That, if the goods are delivered and paid for, he then and there solicits an order for delivery at the next trip. He makes out an order sheet containing the amount of orders received by him and which he sends to his employer at New Orleans, and the goods are shipped to him at Troy, with which to fill those orders so received. As he goes out on a trip he fills his wagon with packages of goods to fill the orders received on his last trip on that route, and, as he goes and delivers, he likewise solicits and receives orders from the same customers; and so on he goes continuously, with his regular customers receiving orders and delivering goods all at the same time, but the orders are for delivery on the next trip; and on the next trip taking orders for delivery the trip thereafter following.”
“A single act is not sufficient to constitute the offense; if the single act is accompanied with the intent to continue, it may be sufficient.” Keller v. State, 123 Ala. 94, 26 South. 323.
“A person who goes from place to place carrying samples on his back, selling goods by sample and afterwards sends his orders to his principal, who resides in another state, who forwards the goods to such agent, who then delivers the goods, collepts the money, and charges a commission, is not subject to license tax imposed upon peddlers.” Ex parte Murray, 93 Ala. 78, 8 South. 868.
Subdivision 82, § 1, p. 517, Acts 1915, provides that the license for any peddler with a two-horse wagon shall be $35 per annum, whatever may be sold.
It appears that the defendant was acting as agent for another, and therefore section 9, p. 529, Acts 1915, applies. That section provides that the punishment of an agent shall be a fine in the sum of the state and county license, and $100 in addition thereto.
Section 18 and page 553, Acts 1915, provide that, if any such business shall commence after April 1st in any year, the amount of license shall be one-half the year’s license. It is probable that in this case the defendant could not be tried, upon his objection, for the violation of such law two years in the same complaint, for they represent separate and distinct offenses. But this question was expressly waived by the defendant, and he agreed in open court that both may be tried on their merits in the one complaint, and went to trial without objection to the sufficiency of the complaint in any respect, treating the same as the information required by law to be filed by the solicitor on appeal. Therefore, for the first count of the complaint, the defendant should be fined $152.50, and on the second count be fined $126.25, which will be the judgment of the court.
There is no error in the record, and the judgment is affirmed.
Affirmed.
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