The daily sentinel., 1909-07-29
HE REFUSED TO GRANT LICENSE
CONTINUED f.om FRS, Page)

ordinance governing trained animal
show and guided also by precedent,
agreed TO fix the license for the per
formanec here at $500 This was
agreeable to a number of the alder
men Mayor Zee Signed a CONTRACT
with the show representatives to this
effect
Today when the shows came to the
city. after the tents were looming up.
the managers who travel with the
shows called on City Treasurer Chap
man. presented the contract made
with Mayor Lee, deposited their
$500. secured an order for a license
and took the same to City Clerk
Vorbeck to secure the license
The show managers were naturally
surprised when they were told by
Clerk Vorbeck that he would not
issue the license. having been in
structed not TO issue il by City At
torney McClintock who had evidently
determined to make the mayors con-
tract with the representatives Of the
shows worthless.
McClintock was called to the office
of the city clerk. then Aldermen Ma
gill and McCary loomed up. as mem
bers of the license committee and
this trio announced that the contract
with Mayor Lee was no good that an
ordinance provided that a three-ring
circus pay sl00 a day license and
| they demanded the 500 or declared
there would be no show in Grand
junction today.
Then followed series of confer
ences between the show managers
and the city officials. All of the city
fsl
abide by the mayors contract except
ing Magill and McCary, and McClint-
ock. Alderman Gasho, of the license
committee also being perfectly will
ing that the mayors contract be car
ried out.
The show managers naturally held
that the contract should be carried
out. that contract is a contract but
| they forget that with some people a
contract is a contract only when IL
suits these people.
The men personally in charge of
the show are not the men who make
The license arrangements or o. X.
them and IL was explained to the city
officials that to make a change at
| this late hour for this reason would
be most annoying and inconvenient.
The showmen declared that If
more than $500 was 10 have been
charged il should have been charged
at the time the license matters were
arranged
All this was delaying the starting
of the parade and causing, the people
to get restless but Magill McCary
and McClintock were going to stick
out for a disregard for the contract
made with Mayor Lee. They were
great sticklers today for collecting
all the license possible yet MIR. Me-
Clintock, MIessrs. Magill and McCary
are not worrying over the fact that
McClintock and the city council are
permitting several of the most flag
rant violations of the license resu-
lations in this city ever permitted
simply to favor certain members of
the anti-saloon party.
| Finally 1t was agreed to compro-
mise and the license was made $50
the show managers paid up and Ma
gill, McCary and McClintock had sue
ceeded in demonstrating that a con
tract made by Mayor Lee is no good
If they see fit To break IL. It was ths
most arrogant assumption of power
and the rankest overriding of an ac
tion of the highest official of the city
ever witnessed here.
The fact that the shows have pait
more than SIS license is not tn,
question. 1t is the principle o.
whether or not one contract can b,
made today and broken tomorrow
and of whether the mayor is the gov
erning power of the city or som,
clique of minor officials.
Admitted that the Hagenbeck
Wallace Shows should have pait
more than SIS license. and for a shov
that size The Sentinel thinks that ;
higher license should have been pait
though in view of the licenses assess
ed in past years here and in man,
other Colorado cities and towns, the,
should not have asked to pay a bi;
license such as these three men wer,
demanding.
The fact remains that after a con
tract was entered into IL should hav,
been kept. The city ordinances d,
not designate what license shall b,
required for such show as the Hag
enbeckWallace and SIS was agreet
upon as medium between tn,
charges made for dog and pony show
and the Barnum & Bailey show tha
visited here four years ago Gentry
dog and pony show paid So 90. Bar
mum S25 and Buffalo Bill S25. al
being agreed upon in advance. Fey
cities in Colorado charge more thai
SIS to $25 license for the biyges
circuses and animal shows. The Hae
enbeck-Wallace Shows paid S25 II
Salt Lake Tuesday.
Hereafter when licenses are soush
Sentinel want ads bring results