The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1910-01-28
TO the Public.

of Milbank for fair play. The large
and well satisfied audiences thai have
attended the various performances
are ample proof that the public thor
oughly appreciates the efforts of the
management to give them the best
there is in the way of theatrical at
fractions. 1t is to this public we wish
to state the exact facts in relation to
our action in closing the house, pend
ing the action of the acting mayor and
the council. At this time we will state
that three of the aldermen have eX-
pressed themselves as entirely in sym
pathy with the management of the
house, and we believe that the two
others would not have knowingly been
a party to the acting mayor. There
is a city ordinance which requires a
license of 1925 per year or $3 per show
to every company, but there is no IL
cense for home entertainment. When
the opera house was built this coun-
Gil passed a resolution exempting Mr..
Bentley from this license as long as
he owned the house. Mr.. Bentley
transferred the property to the Whet-
stone Valley Realty Co. December
3lst. Since that time two perform
ances were given in the house and no
one mentioned the license. So far as
the management was concerned, it was
never thought Of. A week ago Satur-
day the acting mayor, Manley, who
has taken the place of Mayor Meehan,
during the latter's absence, stopped
the manager of the house on the street
and stated that if the house was in the
possession of chose fellows up west
the main stockholders of the Realty
Co. are Geo, Egrmayer and Julius
Fenner Of Twin BrOoks,) the house
would have to pay a license, as the
resolution applying to Mr.. Bentley
had run out. The manager explained
that the house a not paying + per
cent on the investment, and practically
all the earnings were spentin improve
ments and in paying high prices for
the attractions. Mayor Manley said
the ordinances must be enforced, and
thai the management had better come
up to the council meeting and talk it
over. Bills were put up for a show
for January "a, % and 26, with no
thought of anything further being
done until the next council meeting,
February 9th. On Saturday after
noon January ~ at4:3O O'Clock Chief
Sutcli fife notified the management that
the show Monday would be held up
for license. Mayor Marley was seen
Immediately. and stated that was the
case, and when informed the house,
would close, he stated that it would
have to close. The management took
the position that in view of the fact
that the house a not a paying in
vestment and was Just expanding 1907
for electric lights, which it would take
about a years profit to pay for, be-
sides being to other expense, that the
summary action of the mayorwas pea
nut politics for spite-work. This
view is substantiated when it is con-
sidered that there are many Ordi-
nances on the statute book that are
never enforced by the city authorities,
which are of vastly nor Importance
to the public than the collection of 1915
from the only public amusement house
OF any consequence in the city. Why
the sudden snap Judgment on the OPP
era house? All the cOuncilmen were
in the city and could easily have been
called ana the matter taken up in the
regular way. We have the word OFF,
rella bic citizen that a close friend of
Mayor Manley stated hat he took the
action because he did not Ike the
manager OF the opera house. ana Mr..
Nanley mas since stated 10 the mana
ger that the house would rema IN clos
ed as long as he was on the council,
unless il paid a license. He also en-
phasized that the owners were non
residents. Do the merchants OF Mil
bank want it TO 60 out that the citi-
Zens OF Twin Brooks, who are Mil
! u, nlH= hast .,,a+..,a-~ -, L@ll
property or run a peting bus
mess IN Milhank without paying a IL
cense? The Ideal theatre pays no IL
cense, and the pictures do not spend
any money in Milbank-show trOupes
do We do not mean to infer that the
Ideal should pay, for it should not.
1t furnishes amusement for the peo-
pie, and at present is not any too
profta BILE.
To show that the Milbank opera
house is a losing venture as an in
vestment, / insert a report of the bust
ness and profits of the house since
June l, 1909. 1t will be seen that the
profits amounted to s244.2 6 and there
is still a bill outstanding for 500. Re-
Gently $40 was paid for insurance, and
a bill for 1907 for electric lights is
still to be paid. This report covers
the best part OF the season. The in
vestment in the opera house. including
only the upper floor of the building is
upward of $1,000. Will any fair-mind-
ed person claim that any additional
burden should be imposed? The man
ager of the house has not received a
cent of salary, but has managed the
house for the sole purpose of giving
Milbank a first-class place of amuse-
ment and getting in some attractions
that we could all enjoy. Since the
present management has had the
house. high prices have been paid for
the best shows, when cheaper ones
could have been had easily. We be-
lieve the public will agree with us
that we were fully justified in closing
the house after the summary action of
Mayor Manley, and will express their
Indignation in no uncertain terms.
Thanking the public for its patronage
! and SllInnrf am yn,1pc acna.+F,ll,-