Executive Order 8306 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 8306—Taxes and Licenses in the Canal Zone

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Tuesday, December 19, 1939

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2 min read (448 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 1939-12-19, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Taxes and Licenses in the Canal Zone." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: This action represents an orderly exercise of Article II administrative discretion, managing the internal machinery and personnel of the executive branch without abridging the ancient liberties of the people.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ By virtue of and pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 401, title 2 of the Canal Zone Code, approved June 19, 1934,1 hereby prescribe the following rules and regulations pertaining to taxes and licenses in the Canal Zone: Section 1.

▪ —The following special license taxes shall be collected in the Canal Zone: (a) For carrying on the business of a peddler, or of a runner soliciting sales of stores and chandlery to vessels, $2.00 per calendar month or fraction thereof: Provided, however , that where articles of food only are sold licenses shall be issued without collection of any tax.

▪ —No person shall engage in any business or occupation described in section 1 of this order unless he is the holder of a valid license therefor issued by the Executive Secretary of the Panama Canal or by his authority.

▪ Peddler's licenses issued to persons selling articles of food shall be subject to the condition that in the conduct of such business the licensee shall observe strictly the terms of the license or licenses issued to him and the applicable sanitary regulations, and shall obey the orders of the health officers.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants

Total Words

448

2,588 characters

Estimated Read Time

2 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

12.3

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 8306, Franklin D. Roosevelt (Dec 19, 1939). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-8306-taxes-and-licenses-the-canal-zone.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

By virtue of and pursuant to the authority vested in me by section 401, title 2 of the Canal Zone Code, approved June 19, 1934,1 hereby prescribe the following rules and regulations pertaining to taxes and licenses in the Canal Zone: Section 1. License taxes on certain businesses and occupations. —The following special license taxes shall be collected in the Canal Zone: (a) For carrying on the business of a peddler, or of a runner soliciting sales of stores and chandlery to vessels, $2.00 per calendar month or fraction thereof: Provided, however , that where articles of food only are sold licenses shall be issued without collection of any tax. (b) For the retail sale of tobacco in any form, $2.00 per calendar month or fraction thereof. (c) For the retail sale of soda water, other aerated waters, or ice cream, from any fountain, booth, cart, or vehicle, $2.00 per calendar month or fraction thereof. Section 2. Licenses for certain businesses and occupations. —No person shall engage in any business or occupation described in section 1 of this order unless he is the holder of a valid license therefor issued by the Executive Secretary of the Panama Canal or by his authority. An application for a license may be denied if the character of the applicant is such as to warrant the belief that the privilege granted by the license will not be exercised in an orderly and lawful manner. Peddler's licenses issued to persons selling articles of food shall be subject to the condition that in the conduct of such business the licensee shall observe strictly the terms of the license or licenses issued to him and the applicable sanitary regulations, and shall obey the orders of the health officers. A failure so to do shall subject the license to cancelation by the Executive Secretary. Any license issued under this section shall be rendered void by conviction of the licensee, in any court of the Canal Zone, of a violation of law in the exercise of the privilege granted by the license. Section 3. Punishment for violations. — Under section 402 of title 2 of the Canal Zone Code, any person who engages in any business or occupation described in section 1 of this order without having a valid license therefor, as required by section 2 of this order, is punishable by a fine of not more than $25, or by imprisonment in jail for not more than thirty days, or by both. Section 4. Revocation of prior order. — Executive Order No. 2062 of October 13, 1914, entitled "Providing for License Taxes and Fees", is hereby revoked. FRANKLIN D ROOSEVELT The White House, December 19, 1939.