The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-17
City N Ws
ELWOOD TELLS OF
THAT T0NKA TRIP
EXPLAINS JUST HOW THE JUNK
EFT WAS ARRANGED.


Men Had Suggested that Minneap-
oils Should Do the Same Annual
Custom.
AS result Of the comment upon the
recent excursion of the state board of
equalization to Minnetonka, Lester B.
E1wood, Minneapolis member Of the
board, who was the host upon that oc-
casion, has written a letter to Thomas
Lowry giving all the details Of the af-
fair. This letter was given out for pub
LEGATION today as an answer to pointed
illusions to the junket which have been
appearing in some Of the state papers
It is as follows: l......, -
Minneapolis, Mimi, Oct 10, 1906
Thomas Lowry, Esq, Minneapolis, Mimi.
Dear Sir: I notice published statement
that your company gave the state board
of equalization "jolly'' at Lake Min
netonka. .-/ -
l. The facts Of the entertainment given
the board are as follows:. Last year,
when accepted the position on the state
board, was called upon by s.. A. Harris
and w. L. Harris and requested to give
the members of the board some little en-
tertainment, the same as has been done
for years by st. Paul. I told both these
gentlemen that I would do so with this
understanding, that funds for this enter
tainment, after deducting my fees, should
be raised by them, not from any indi-
vidual or any one interest, but from the
business men of the city, and that did
not wish to know from whom these
funds came. This was done. The en-
tertainment which gave the board last
year was a trip to Minnetonka over the
al tarr Nnr'S RI 10
| on the lake with a chartered boat, and a
dinner at the Lafayette club. paid the
| Great Northern for car and special en-
| CINE, I think $65, and about $25 for the
| boat, the transportation costing me 500.
I rendered an accounting to S. A. Harris,
deducting my fees of some $3.50, and he
deposited to my credit the balance Of the
expenses, which were something over
5000.
| This year was requested by the busi-
| ness men to do the same thing, that is,
to offer the board some little entertain
ment. The members Of the board eight
cen In number, come from every judicial
district in the state. They are guests OF
the twin cities for about five weeks, and
it would be scant courtesy If the twin
| cities as their hosts during that time
did not offer them some little courtesy
in the way of an entertainment. This
year HI. I1dTOeIlUeISH, lie ol Idul ulcIIl-
Der, and myself agreed on the form Of
entertainment. He was to give them g
dinner at the Minnesota club, which he
did, at an expense T think of about $500
which expense was borne by the jobber:
Of St. Paul; and 1 gave them picnic
at Minnetonka.
chartered a car and boat of YOU
company at an expense something less
than what the special train and boat cost
me last year. and much more convenient
and enjoyable. I engaged the car ant
boat Of Mr.. Warnock ana paid him TO-
same as soon as his bill was rendered
or. rather within a day or two. after hi
| bill was rendered, as his first bill con
tained an overcharge, which was cor
rected,. and I paid the corrected +. bill
which I think was for $3.50. * ,"'<a'..
Expected to Close Tuesday,.
I invited the board to take this trfl
and left to them the date when It SHOULD
be made The public service; corpora
tons were cited for Tuesday of last week
which was to be the last day Of GU
duties, as we intended to finish up tn
session. with the exception of signin
the reports on Tuesday night. Tuesda
morning, however Judge Jamison, repre-
senting the General Electric company, re
quested us to hold the matter over unit
Thursday morning, which the board con
sented to do, altho they had, alread
made their plans to go to the lake Wed
nesday the following day.. We carrie
out our original plans, returning to tn
capitol Thursday morning, finished u
the assessments Of the public ?serv1c
corporations, signed the reports and al
journed, the session being the shortes
Ind least expensive of any similar ses
sion of the past ten years.
I explained to the board when too
hem on this trip that the expenses c
he entertainment were borne partly
myself and partly by the business me
j Of Minneapolis, who wished to offer ther
this little entertainment as simple mat
: ter of courtesy, not to the board {
equalization, but to eighteen merchants
bankers and farmers from eighteen judi
cial districts of the state, the same as W
? offer entertainment to the G. A. r. an
similar bodies that come to ~Minneapoli:
III The street railway company had moth
ing whatever to do with the entertain
ment, and unless they got some informa
ton from Mr.. Warnook, none Of the off
. GERS of the company had any knowledg
of the trip and would not have had, ha
1T not been for newspaper comment
thereon. When I engaged the car an
boat Mr.. Goodrich was at French Lie
and you were at Monticello.
Where the Money Came from.
n The expenses Of this trip and SON
t other courtesies which I extended to tt
o members of the board, exceeded my fet
a by something over 500. This latter SUI
:. was raised by Frank II. Carleton, do nj
a know from whom, but I think fro
q Henry L. Little Of the Pillsbury- Wasl
- burn Milling company; T. B. jaime
, George Partridge, and possibly a. fe
y others. rendered Mr.. Carleton stat
- ment Of the expenses, deducting s155, tt
: fees received by me, and he turned ov
n to me the excess of the expenses,
81 above. >...s - e. 2-- .s.~. II.
" The street railway company receive
Il their pay for the chartered car al
~ chartered boat at regular rates, and
~ above. beyond that, had nothing wha
Il ever to do with the Jolly" do n
= know as you care for this long drawn-o
i explanation, but thought while it w
~ fresh in my mind would make a reco
+ of it. :-sf -.
# Speaking further Of the comments
% the publication referred to, you will n
ID tice it first calls attention to the "muc
q. rakers' who attack successful busine
re men like J.. ]. Hill, and then in the ne
" breath turns itself into a muckraker
" the worst sort. With kind regards, ST
1t cerely yours. Il. B. Elwood.