The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-12-09
WOULD HAVE CITY
OPERATE CASINO
Better Than Competitive Bids and
Taking Chance on Service, Says
Aid. Freiwald.

AS a result of the difference of opin-
ion over the rental of the Belle Isle
casino and the majority and minority
reports of the park committee now
awaiting consideration by the common
council, ~ Is possible that the park
commissioner may be requested TO
take over the casino and run IL here
after, instead Of leasing the privilege.
Rather than have competitive bids
asked for the casino privilege and
have TO Take a chance on service. !
would prefer 10 have the city operate
the casino direct" says Chairman God
frey Freiwald of the parks and boule-
wards committee.
ITO my mind. IN ecasino is on Belle
Isle primarily as an attraction and a
convenience 10 the people. We want
the host kind OF service so that the
people who want a fine meal can get
-withoutegHiHg= te=the=eftF.
and also SO that visitors TO the city
can get the best impression OF our
park We also want popularpriced
service for the people who cannot af-
ford 10 pay for the best.
II do not want 10 see the casino
turned into a mere lunch counter. nor
do want 20 see il run as an exclusive
cafe. We must have all kinds OF SER
vice, and that means that the place
cannot be run as economically as a
downtown restaurant which caters 10
only one kind OF trade and does a good
business all the year around.
Neither is profit the main object.
We get no profit from our Belle Isle
bridge. no profit from our aquarium or
horticultural building or athletic fields
on Belle Isle. Yet the casino Is an at
traction and an accommodation just
as much as any of these. II we exact
high rental. the public must pay II
eventually. The lessee is not going to
donate ii. u strikes me as better policy
to keep the rent at reasonable figure
and also the prices.
81 understand that the running OF
restaurants In parks by the municipal
ity Is already in effect in some cities
If we were to institute that system
here. | believe that Konen, the present
lessee would be as good man as we
could get But whether we give him
another lease or have the city take
over the restaurant. a close supervision
will be kept over the running of the
casino. II profits become too great.
we can arrange for price changes; II
the place runs at loss. we can make
some changes that will remedy the
condition
ANY comparison OF the old casino
with the new casino is unfair. The
old casino was dirty and poorly kept
M. its menu was limited. it's cooking
only fair and the service was about as
bad as IL could be. The new casino
Is kept in excellent condition. which
costs the lessee large sum annually,
and the food and service are good. IL
IS on the way to become one of the
greatest attractions of the city. both
TO residents and TO visitors. We can
not afford to take backward step.
The new schedule OF prices by which
a man can get 4 meal Of warm food
from 10 cents up IS step that VIII
become popular. We may go farther
in that direction later.
II Is very probable that Aid Frei-
valid will move next Tuesday nieAt to
have both majority and minority re-
ports With regard to the casino re-
ferred back to the committee. In that
case. lessee William Konen will he
called upon TO show his books 10 the
council so that the aldermen can learn
where he has made money and where
he has lost
The receipts Of the casino the past
season were approximately $4,000. OF
this about half was for the restaurant
proper AID the other half for soda
fountain. beer and wines and candy.
These latter goods are generally sold
at big profit. and some Of the alder
men are curious as TO how Konen
could have had such expenses as to
cut down these profits TO n paltry
$4,000 even If the restaurant end of
tho business was run without any
profit at all.