Evening journal., 1913-08-08
ASK $500
FOR OLD HOME
CELEBRATION
Council Shy on Granting Ap
preparation and Request
Goes Over
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
WILL AID TIE MOVEMENT


tee Of the whole, last night heard a
delegation from the Chamber of Com
merce appointed for the purpose OF
getting Council to conduct the pro-
posed Homecoming week celebration
during the week of the State fair
next month. David Snellenburg, the
well known clothing merchant, head
ed the committee from the Chamber
of Commerce and the manner in
which he set forth plans under con-
sideration left little for Council tC
debate. but nothing was done After
some talk and wrangling consisting
principally of a difference of opinion,
as voiced by some of the Councilmen,
action on the delegations request for
financial assistance was deferred for
one week.
In order to hear the delegation
from the Chamber of Commerce,
Council resolved itself into a commit
tee of the whole. MI Snellenburg
was then given the privilege Of the
floor. He explained TO Council that
the State had appropriated $4,000 to
make the State Fair a success. Here
tofore it was a county proposition and
he believed the city should con-
tribute to the cost OF a Homecoming
week celebration to make the fair u
still further success. He said the
Chamber of Commerce felt that the
fair and a Homecoming week would
be good things for the city and the
merchants in general. He recalled
,n To- arfc
ing celebration and how every mem
chant in the city benefited by it.
I'VE don't ask for as elaborate a
celebration as last year." he said,
two or three parades being sufi-
cient." We want Council to father
the project and we are willing to
work out the details" Mr.. Snellen-
burg said the committee not only
represented the Chamber of Com
merce, but the merchants of the city,
as we'll.
In reply to a question as to the
plans under consideration Mr.. Smell
lenburg said that III was proposed to
open the home week celebration on
Monday afternoon with a children s
parade with a fireworks display in
the evening 10 be followed by a parade
on either Wednesday or Thursday
evening and a frolic on Friday night
He said the parades would be held
in the evening so as not to interfere
with the attendance at the fair, the
main object being to help that exhibit
along. He said he hoped that the
Wilmington Fair would be in the
same class with such fairs as are
hn1 IN A1Ianfrnrra ~ nj
Mr.. Snellenburg was followed by
John S. Hamilton. publicity manager
of the Chamber of Commerce. who
said the board he represented seized
upon every opportunity to advertise
the city and he considered the fair
and home coming celebration a good
advertiser. He said he opposed the
home coming week celebration last
year. but afterward thought It was
a great success and that he had been
mistaken.
StOver Wants Assessment First.
The opposition to Council appropri-
ating money for a home week cele-
bration cropped out when Colonel
W. r. Slower chairman of the finance
committee said Council did not have
sufficient money in its miscellaneous
He said that Council had but $4,000
over which it has absolute control,
which goes to take care of odds and
ends and is usually the first appro-
priation to run out He said he did
not wish TO be misunderstood in the
matter. but last years experience
revealed to him that many merchants
were opposed to such celebration.
He expressed the opinion that the
first TO be done this year was to pro-
vide for a new assessment and $4,000
expended in this direction would do
more good than by expending a like
samount on a homecoming celebra-
tion.
Councilman McGoldrick, Of the
Third ward, favored appropriating
$1,000 toward a home week celebra-
ton. He asked MIR. Snellenburg II
the merchants would reap that much
benefit. The latter said they would
reap much more. Then am in
favor of appropriating that amount,
and | make a motion to that effect,
said Mr.. McGoldrick. The motion
was seconded. but not put. moro dis
cussion following and an amendment
postponing action for a week was
afterward carried
Colonel Slower remarked that II was
all right to play to popular favor in
the matter, but the finance commit
tee of the city has a responsibility
which should not be overlooked. He
said the city was rich at this par
ticular time. but the finance commit
tee has the end of the year to look
forward to- He said il was either
a question of making a new assess
ment or appropriating the money to
an affair such as suggested, and it
was up to Council to decide which.
President White asked Mr.. Snellen-
burg what investment the. merchants
were going to make toward home
week celebration and the merchant
replied that if twice S1,500 was need
ed to make the affair a success, the
committee would get it, Mr.. Smell
lenburg said the committee realized
Councils position in the matter of
finances as well as Mr.. Stover. but
added that it was sometimes better to
spend little money than withhold il
on an occasion of this kind.
IF we can see our way clear" he
added, I'VE may come here for less
than we now ask" He said the
Chamber of Commerce was desirous
Of having the celebration held under
the auspices of Council, and the COM
mittee will do everything possible to
Keep down the expenses
At this luncture. ~ Hamilton pro
duced figures showing what the Council
Of Seattle. Wash. was doing in the way
of advertising that city and he consid-
cred the proposed home coming week
celebration was a progressive yet cheap
| method Of adVprfieino INilrninofon