The Detroit times., 1910-05-19
I'm ALWAYS OUT
!. For BUSINESS,
SAYS AID. link
Declares Practical Monopoly Of Brew.
cries Feed Trade Has No Connec-
ton With His Craftsmanship Of
Liquor License Committee.
Strongly in Favor Of Probing Of
Graft RumOrs, Which the Council
1 Has Ordered.

The investigation by Prosecuting
Attorney Van Zile and the police OF
rumors OF graft In the issuance OF
saloon licenses is the allabsorbing
topic Ia city hall circles. and the at
fairs OF certain officials are proving
suddenly interesting to aldermen, Of
nee holders and politicians generally.
City hall circles" are just the
proper words to describe conditions
IN the big stone house.
The council meeting. Tuesday eve-
ming. was group OF circles" with
the clannish aldermen holding talk
tests In small groups, and causing
frequent and lusty welding OF the
gavel to get them down 10 business.
There is much OF the talk that. Will
never reach the official ears OF the
prosecutor and police.
Prosecutor Van Zile himself ex-
pressed that opinion. He declared.
Wednesday morning, that publicity
given TO the fact that he was quietly
at work running down the rumors or
bribery and attempted bribery, would
result In q sudden and prevailing
dumbness among city officials.
But some OF the gossip will be look
ed into by the investigators.
Aid. Herman +. link Is chairman or
the liquor license committee and TO
this fact 10 due, no doubt, the fire.
Quent use Of his name In connection
with the city hall gossip. He and
Committee Secretary Edward X
Schreiter, did the most OF the work
In actually passing on the applica-
lions for licenses. On Tuesday, III
committee. Aid. link was the one TO
move that the Doodle talk be investi'
gated at once by the council
In connection with links chairman
ship OF this committee. gossip around
the city hall has much to do with his
connection I'm his business with the
brewers OF Detroit.
Aid. link, with his brother August
H. link, does feed and grain bust.
ness at No. Church-st., under the
firm name of link Bros.
link Bros. have recently had
practical monopoly OF the business OF
supplying oats and bran to the vaTi-
Gus breweries OF the city. Beled hay
Is also supplied, in carload lots, TO the
brewers. through link Bros. Other
grain dealers, who had supplied much
grain To the brewers, have reported
q big falling of In their orders. during
the session of the liquor icepse com
mittee.
At practically every brewery in the
city, and every one OF the larger brew
cries. Ii was stated snort time ago
to q Times reporter that the grain
was all coming from link Bros. Some
purchased hay from farmers, but
those who bought IL in the city, were
buying II from Aid link they stated.
The alderman has corroborated the
statement that he did a big business
with all the brewers, but declared
that his influence on the liquor COM
mittee had nothing to do with the
case He produced his books. show.
ing accounts with various brewers.
ante-dating his election as an alder
nan. to substantiate his assertion that
his dealings with the brewers were
purely Of q business nature.
"Im here to do business" laughed
Ald. link. The more business I can
get, the better | will like 1t. But
my position on the liquor license com
mittee has nothing to do with the way
the brewers come TO buy OF u.s."
Aid. link makes no bones about the
fact that he is prospecting, $nd that
his business Is booming. One evil
dence of prosperity Is on file in the
register of deeds office. where the
books are always open for inspections.
On April z. last, Herman F. link,
and his wife. Louise, discharged a
mortgage for $1,000, given to the
Peninsular bank, on property on the
west side of Joseph Campau-ave. near
Monroe-aye., and described In the
mortgage as the north 3S feet OF lot
3, block 20, OF Alexander's subdivision
of private claim No. 600.
The mortgage was dated May IL,
1906, and was due in three years,
bringing the date of maturity to May
Is, 1911. The discharge OF the mort
gage, on April T. 1910, over a year
before II fell due. Is recorded IN
Liber Ill, Page 275.
IF there has been any crookedness
In connection with the licenses don't
know anything about ii, and am sat
isfied that the hands OF the other
members OF the committee are clean.
too" declared Aid. link, Wednesday
Prosecutor Van Zile says he does
Dot think he will call a grand jury.
I'VE can get at the facts just as
cell by working quietly" he says.