Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-24
THE ARMoRY QUESTION.
Mr.. Hutchfhs Gives the Market Com
p1ny'S Side.


To the Editor of The Evening Star:
AS pretty nearly everybody except myself
has had something to say in the papers
concerning the District militia's occupancy
of Convention Hall for drilling purposes.
perhaps you will allow me &c contribute a
little real informatio to the masses.
When the lease was entered into between
the hall proprietors and the militia author
tiles several drafts We're prepared. the final
agreement containing two important
c;auses-one that the militia might rse the
kali OIL additional nights. when not en-
gagged, for a nominal! price Per night, and
its correlative. II at the hall might he let
on nights assigned TO the militia in consid-
alton of the payment to the mllltla luiti
of One-half the net proceeds OF Such rental
This was done in order that a coatlnuloS
use of the hall as required by the food show
or the Moody and Sankey meetings might
lie accommodated, as they could not be II
three nights OF every week were 10 ne
taken by the militia. 1t often occurs that
a whole week is required to put tn. hall IN
condition for an attraction, and the knowi-
edge of this necessity was, one OF The rea-
sons for the clause named. Unfortunately
the wrong drafts were signed, and this
fact was not discovered for over year.
Meantime a two years contract had been
made with the lee Palace Company, which
las expended over SJtdoO to prepare the
hall for their use. Fer the few nights re-
naming fo the militia last ysar the Ice
Palace Company offered TO hire anoth ar
hall and convey the members to and from
their armory in carriages, but this rot be
ing accepted, they went TO the expense Of
81. 800 in putting down a temporary floor
over the ice surface. aad gave up Two
nights use of the hall weekly, at a consiJ-
cradle loss of revenue. all their expenses
continuing.
The owners of the hall are also reasona-
bly, anxious to obtain some return for the
large sum of money they have invested.
They have to defray the interest on a large
bonded debt, while. owing to the hard
times, almost every form of attraction re-
curing SO large a hall has vanished
There is no difficulty in accommodating
both parties if each is reasonable. The
matter is complicated to degree by the
stakeholder in the market company own
ing the hall. otherwise the company would
make an application FOR a restoration of
the omitted clause directly to him.
The statement that the rent of the hall
has been fully paid is not true. A consid-
cradle sum due in 1898 stands over because
the appropriation ran out.
1t must be understood that the amount
agreed TO be paid by the militia covers
only the use of the hall 1t includes both
the heating and lighting of the arnory.
and the compensation for lighting alone.
on the basis of city rates. would exceed the
entire amount paid for all.
We have hoped to Settle the matter IL
dispute without trying the cause III the
NEWSPAPERS, but every month or SO an
energetic reporter chokes Il column of his
paper with facts that are not wholly true
and intimat ons that are hurtful. and this
Is the first time the market company has
spoken back. STIISON HETCHINS,
President Northern Liberty Market Com
rany owning Convention Hall.