Evening journal., 1912-10-12
CITY OFFICIALS MIXED UP
I'M HOME WEEK BADGE SALE

Much criticism has been caused
over developments in connection with
the sale Of official badges. confetti and
other concessions for Old Home
Week. It all has grown out of an at
tempt TO give Clerk of Council Mark
McManus and Hermon B. Bothum.
secretary to the Mayor, the exclusive
privilege for the sale Of the official
home week badges.
These two officials we're given the
exclusive right to handle the official
badge-a golden key supposed to be
the key to the city-by a committee Of
City Council, and in return they we're
TO pay 5000 to the city if their profits
warranted H. When Home Week
opened. an army of fakirs descended
upon Wilmington and began 10 sell
all kind Of badges Mr.. McManus
and Mr. Bothum had opened head
quarters al No. West Seventh street,
from which the sale of their supplies
was directed by II. Hizer, ofPhiadel-
phia. and they had several statesmen
on the streets. When the statesmen
for McAIanus and Bothum learned
that outside fakirs we're selling in
competition with them. after they
had supposed they we're to have the
exclusive privilege of selling the Of
ficial badges. they protested to the
Councilmen and Councilman Stover
saw Chief Black to enlist his COO
Grafton in trying to maintain an ex-
elusive privilege for Bothum and Nc
Manus
I On Wednesday morning the fakirs
we're notified 10 appear in the city
hall chamber by some policemen and
| by John Byron, who was in the em-
ploy Of McManus and Bothum. When
the fakirs assembled there they were
given to understand that il they each
bought Eve dollars worth of the ofii-
cial badges or noise producers from
/ McAIanus and Bothum they would be
permitted 10 continue their sales on
the ctreets It was pointed out that
McManus and Bothum were supposed
10 have the exclusive concession for
selling the official badges The up
shot of it was that the fakirs each
bought IS worth of official badges,
which took the stock off the hands
of the two city officials, and they
then continuedtheir sales on the city
streets. No license fees were exact
ed from their for their privilege.
Under the law. a license is required
from street sellers. but the fakirs this
week we're not required to pay IL
cense nor were McManus and Eoth-
um to be required TO pay a license
It would have been impossible law
fully to have given them an exclusive
privilege to sell badges since any
fakir by paying a license could have
obtained 2 badge selling right.
The street venders, however, could
have been compelled to pay a license
or quit selling II is thought most o.
them would have refused to pay a IL
cense.
When the subject of~getting the po.
lice department 10 assist in protect.
ing McManus and Bothum exclusive
" in selling their official badges, anc
also when the suggestion was made
that the police aid IN getting the fax
irs to buy the stock OF badges of Nc
Manus and Bothum, Chief Black re
marked that il looked to him Ike Z
holdup game. Later Captain Kane
sent policemen to notify some fakir'
to appear at the Council chamber
in which work Byron also was en-
gagged.
Mr.. McManus and Mr.. Bothum to
day denied that there was anything
irregular in the transaction. The.
said they had been assured by Coun