The Republican journal., 1897-09-09
The Hotel Meeting Monday Evening.

The meeting called at the Opera House
Monday evening to consider the matter of
abating the taxes on Crosby Inn was not
very largely attended. Calvin Hervey,
Esq, called the meeting to order and W. P.
Thompson, Esq, was named as chairman
and Mr.. c. S. Bckford as secretary. On as
suming the chair Mr.. Thompson read the
petition to the Mayor and Aldermen and
the call for the meeting, and a local from
The Republican Journal embodying facts
from the records of the Belfast Hotel Com
pany relative to money invested, etc Re-
marks We're then called for. Wm B. Swan,
Esq, presented the following resoutons:
Whereas, The Belfast Hotel Co. have met
with many reverses and finally lost their
property by fire, and are involved in litiga-
ton with the city for taxes they are unable
| to pay, a compromise of existing difficulty
is desirable for the good of the city.
1t is therefore voted, that we, legal voters
of Belfast, would advise and recommend
our City Government to take Immediate
measures to relieve said company of all ac-
crued taxes since 1890.
Mr. Hervey made statement relative to
the condition of the hotel company, sub
stantially as printed in these columns last
week, and referred to an article in the Bel
fast Age which stated that tthe old stock
holders, with the aid of new capital, will
make the proposition that if the city will
abate the taxes now unpaid against the cor
poration, they will at once build new
hotel" This, Mr.. Hervey said, was entire
ly unwarranted. No such proposition was
thought Of The Hotel Company has no
funds whatever. The lot is in the hands of
trustees for the benefit Of the bondholders.
The most that could be said was that if these
taxes were abated great obstacle would be
removed. Until that was done nothing
whatever could be accomplished in the way
Of rebuilding.
Mr.. j, F. Wilson said lie came to the meet
ing under the impression that the hotel was
to be-rebuilt If these taxes We're abated, and
he was not only intending to vote for the
proposition but would contribute something
toward rebuilding. He was in favor of
building the Inn, had taken stock in it. We
needed such q hotel then and we need it
just as much now. lie went into details as
to the efforts of a committee Of the Board of
Trade to secure subscriptions for rebuilding
Crosby Inn, and failing in that to build on
the Ford lot
Mr.. j. W. Wallace came to the meeting
under the same impression as MIR. Wilson
that the Inn was to be rebuilt if the taxes
We're abated. If that was not to be CON
dition he thought the property should be
| sold and the taxes collected Then if a com.
pany would come forward to build hotel he
had no doubt the city would ahate the taxes
| and exempt the property for term of years
| a c. Slbley, Esq, spoke of the desira bill
| ty Of having hotel on the original site and
of the need for such a structure. He favored
the abatement of tie taxes as proposed and
said that unless this was done the matter
was dead He thought there should be con
| tidence enough in the men who built the
hotel to warrant this. After some further
discussion Mr.. Sibley asked the chairman as
| to the status of the meeting. Mr.. Thompson
said it was called under a city ordinance
but he did not consider its action would be
more than an expression of opinion.
No action was taken on the resolution
| given above, but on motion of Mr.. Sibley al
informal vote was taken to the effect that it
was desirable to abate the taxes as pre-
| liminary step toward the rebuilding of the
| to be counted in favor of the proposition
and there We're no votes in the negative.
| The meeting then adjourned