The Detroit times., 1910-07-19
Member Of No. "a Declares II There
Is Still Lodge Here in q Year,
Leading Officers of Convention
Must Get Out
Whereupon Chairman Burgess Ex-
hibits More Letters and Words Of
Praise for His Committee.

prominent member OF No. "a. The
things that have been permitted In
connection with the reunion have so
aroused the greater part of the mem
bers that | doubt II there will be any
Detroit lodge a year from now. III
there is. many OF the people who we're
in charge OF this convention VIII be
out Of IT,
The way that visitors were allowed
To be robbed was shame. ! had one
man come into my office and show me
$50 In bills.
This, he said. is what brought
here just To buy souvenirs. ! have
put II back In my jeans, and shall
not spend cent above bare expenses.
u. Reginald MacEachron, an archi-
tectural designer OF Atlanta, Ga, told
me much the same thing, and these
are only two of many.
Il am ashamed to meet my GUS
toners when | go west this month.
The rank and file OF the members
have had nothing TO do with the ex-
tortions. but they were permitted by
the executive committee. and they
2 have given the city and the lodge
black eye"
That there Is dissension among the
members OF No. "a and that the lodge
Is right now divided into factions Is
evident. Mr.. weighing being among
the number who are OF the opinion
that the affair was loosely handled.
There are others who belong to 40.
81 who are emphatic In censuring the
committee in charge for turning the
lodge room into a bar" as they ex-
press IT,
The sore spots made during the
week are not confined to these Elks
and not few OF the big merchants.
Detroit's colony of crippled street
vendors. claim that they were not
treated with very much consideration.
Their great grievance Is that they were
compelled In several instances to pay
fee OF $40 To the concessions com.
mttee OF the Elks and they can't quite
figure out why that was necessary in.
asmuch as thay owned city licenses al
ready.
1T was all right to soak the fellows
who came To Detroit from the outside
TO see what they could get out OF ",
hut why do they have TO come after
rs who are here all the timer asks
J. w. Devine, one-armed vendor OF No.
20 Labrosse-st.
There is a movement among Detroit
street vendors who figure they were
unjustly assessed TO get their cash
back from the Elks' committee.
Devine has a receipt for S.. He ex-
plains that he protested that II was
impossible for him to pay $40 and that
he was told s. would do.
at didn't get me anything TO pay
even S." said Devine. Getting right
down TO dollars and cents, | lost money
en- the convention. A fellow that's
selling shoe strings for living can't
very well afford TO shell out that much
money for the privilege of selling them
Tor a week"
August Vance. who has been selling
toy balloons for living for years, was
another one who was assessed $40.
Vance lives at No. "a Macomb-st.
The legless man whose stand Is ~
the ]. l.. Hudson store. Is another one
OF the crippled vendors who was fore
ed to pay a fee.
In spite of what Mr.. weighing says
and other reports OF dissension Fred
8. Burgess, chairman OF the executive
committee of the Elks' convention. In
sists that the convention was proper.
" handled, and that there is no legit-
innate reason for finding fault In sup
port OF his contention. he handed out
the following letter OF congratulation,
which he received through the mail
Monday morning:
Detroit, July 16, 10.
Frederick s. Burgess, Chairman
Executive Committee.
Dear Sir--l have read consider
able comment and criticism In the
daily press of your city In re-
gard to the expenditures for the
Elks' convention, but aside from
this | have heard nothing but the
highest of praise from all strang-
ers visiting your beautiful city,
and I must say II was well de
served. Il will leave lasting
impression for good in the minds
OF every visitor. IL was the best
and finest convention I ever saw
and the decorations and illumina.
tons were on grand scale. Your
business men, who contributed so
generously and lavishly to that
end, are deserving OF the highest
praise. II showed a spirit Of civic
pride in their city that will bear
fruit In the future. and we'll
worthy OF emulation by cities OF
far greater pretensions and prom
Uses. but far less fulfllment.
What is worth doing at all, il
worth doing well. and that is
what your people have done. II
any city in the country can sur.
pass them In the doing, | want TO
hear of Il. for I am from Missouri
and they must show me.
I am not an Elk. so claim 70
be impartial In my judgment, but
do believe that the Elks' con-
yentIon brings more people TO a
city, and from all quarters OF our
country, than any other conyen-
ton That could be held, and for
that reason | think your people
acted wisely. even though at great
expense, as Il will spread the fame
and fair name Of your city
throughout the land II Will be
money well spent in spreading its
good reputation broadcast, and
you will not have to go 10 that
great expense again to sustain IL.
for YOU have established IL. and
your visitors and friends. who
have been so well entertained and
taken care of. will do that
IL gives a bad and a very false
impression when your papers pub
- n a. s,rfel