Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-01-16

I'D. JOuKNAL: The proprietor u
the hall have noticed the repeated
attacks you have seen 1T 10 make
on their property and business for
some time past, bot have reffaiDsd
hitherto from making any reply,
thinking that most Of our citizens,
especially those long resident, uo9er-
stand The situation Of the property
aud know foil well why 10 large
expenditure are made to improve
and modernize II. We bad bOped
moreover that you would diseoyef
the impfopgiety aud uDfsirDess of
singing out our property 70 b. msde
the object Of special attack aud % ~
held up ~ the ridicuIe and contempt
o. your readers, thus injurng " by
the depreciation Of our private prop
erty, while We have IN no way 10
iured you that We are aware q aud
have been your constant patrons.
But inasmuch 81 these attacks have
been continued with uDeaggiDg per
sisteDcy until we are feeling the in
iary Inflicted upon our business by
a marked decrease u patronage and
falling off 10 receipts of ball, We feel
now that few words by way Of re-
ply would moi be out u place.
The opera ball is pirate property
and run as q private enterprise for
profit 81 any other business in the
city Is. We pay heavy taxes and
licenses and have a. much right "
pursue our business without mOles-
tatiOn or needles interference ~ you
have 20 conduct your newspaper, Of
- the bankers, merchants and shop
keepers " Salem have b conduct
their various pursuits. You have
no more night tO attack and depre
eiate our private property and injure
our private business than you have
10 attack and iDjure one of the banks
or dry goods stores, or meat shops, Or
any other business establishment Of
the city. Our business ls no more
public than any other that depends
on public patronage. It's ~ our IN
terest 10 please our patrons II We
eau, but II We fail they are fIee to
discontinue their patronage. We
have neither inclination nor power
10 ooercs II. II you or The public
don't wish 10 patrOnizs the hall you
ARE fires 10 discontinue your attend.
anoe, but you have no moral or legal
right ~ interfere with II or iDjure IL.
The reason why We do not aud
cannot further improve the hall at
the present time " simple aud ob.
yious; II will nos pay, the patronage
viii not justify IL. The income Is
about sufficient 30 pay ordinary 70
pain and running expenses inelud.
Ing moderate salary ~ the man
ager and employees without any
dividend on the Investment what
ever, aud this has been true except
Ing one or two years, ever since the
hall was built 10 keep the hall Ia
IFS present repair aud condition We
are often compelled 30 cxf,end more
than half the annual income upon
II. Ia 1850 We expended absut two.
thirds the annual Income on repairs
aud Improvements.
How utterly preposterous aud silly
u Il 10 h. advocating and adyertis-
Ing the erection Ia Salem Of IA new
opsra house on par with the Mar.
guam Grand of Portland OF the Ia
coma Theatre, Will plainly appear
when IL ls considered that the ro-
oeipts of the MaFquam Grand for a
single evening often equal II not ex
oeed the receipts of the hall here
for whole year, while the city
houses ARE open every night and
here, once or twice Ia week.
A fine hail might be erected In
Salem by subscription II there could |
Do found forty or my men who
would each bo willing 10 subscribe
1900 towards tho enterprise, without
eNpeollhg any return on II for ten
OF twenty ycars, aud who would be- |
willing 90 contribute la addition
tltO each per annum for expenses OF |
conducting II 10 a first class alyle.
But lo nnd aud enlist that number
Of men or a fourth of that number
la such al enterprise, would, We
think, b. a difficult task.
IL, however, men could bo found
liberal enough 10 undertake such
Ma enterprise aud Sue hall with
modern Improvements could be-
ereolod la Salem, We should not
inierpoue the slightest objection,
We oonld now by closing our hall
aud removing tho sconory, SECURE
about ~ much from the reduction
la the rate u Insurance on tho op.
efa hou@e and Ice oouienia annually
a. we nov realize nom the Income
of tho hall, aud II Salem Was cup.
piled with a zoe, nov hall We could
well afford 20 close ours and utilize
he hulldlng Cor hotel or other pur.
ls,aes.
The fact ls Salem hasn't sufficient I
population 10 support a nnsg class
hall, aud oul ~ the number hers