Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-10-12
A REPLY

distorted facts and statements that
are misleading as they were in
tended to be. 1t is true that
| stopped work for time on
the city property. When Mr.. Chas.
Dodge, president of the Shoe company,
came and found out my side of the
matter he agreed that | was justified
in doing as | did. After talking
about the merits of my claim he
made me proposition that showed
that the company was disposed to be
more than fair with me and were
willing to see that | lost no rights
which / claimed in regard to my lease
with the city. AS l was the only one
who had anything to do with the
property from the city the arrange
ments were made with me. AS to my
lease with the city, several of the
leading attorneys of WauSau looked
up the facts in the case and found
that l had valid lease holding the
property until May 1st, 1916. If the
Record reporter had been disposed to
be fair, he could have obtained the
facts from me.
In regard to my lease and option
from the city would state the fol-
lowing: In 1913 l made an offer to
the city in regard to this property. 1t
was referred to a committee. At the
meeting all of the members were in
favor of accepting the proposition.
After some of them had left Mayor
Ringle proceeded to make notes of the
offer | agreed to fix up the building
at my own expense; to rent it for a
year at $500 per month, at the end of
the year to purchase it for Sl500.00
and agreed to keep ten men employed
for period of five years. Mr.. Ringle
said he did not know if the city could
then make the price $I500.00 but
said That he would guarantee that
the city would sell it to me at fair
price. In making his report he made
no mention of the price or option
whatever. This in spite of the fact
that all of the members of the COM
mittee but him agreed to it. l was
told by some of the committee that
when the matter came up and was
ready TO purchase, they would see
that the council would know about
the action of the committee. At the
end of the year the council renewed
the lease for one year on the same
terms. Last April informed Mayor
Ringe that we were ready to go
ahead and carry out the terms of the
original proposition, and would like
to have the matter acted on at once.
He told me to see the industrial
committee. l did so, and they all
seemed to agree to my offer. | asked
if | should make it in writing but was
told to wait until the council meet
ing. At that time Mayor Ringle re-
fused to take action but referred it to
be acted on at the next meeting. He
knew we were ready to build ware
house and keep the plant running if
the matter could be settled that
night. Later | heard that the COM
mittee was not in favor of the offer,
claiming that only one or two boys
had been employed. No member of
the council ever has asked to see the
books to find out how many hands
had been employed or how much was
paid out in wages. By accepting the
rent for another month the city made
the lease valid for another year. |
was informed by one that the council
was offering this site to the Shoe
company, but was told by one of them
that they did not want it.
While | was out of the city the
.
While the matter was before the
council Mayor Ringle made the state
ment that [ had no lease and no
told the council that the committee
had intended to give me an option on
the site but that it was left out of
the report of the committee. He
should also have stated that he had
rrI1 nf- n ~ ri "
sell it to me at fair price, when the
time ca me that | would want it. If
| there had been no agreement of any
kind, common decency would demand
| that after spending several hundred
dollars in fitting up the building, |
| should have had the first chance to
buy. The council knew that L was
ready to buy the property at the
make the title contingent on ten men
being employed for five years.
The Shoe company did not care for
this site. They would have stayed in
Wausau no matter what the council
| did in the matter of site. Our fac
| tory has been running in very small
| way. The first bar turned out was a
| good seller and we could have dis
l
| not satisfy US. We could sell to any
| one once, but what we wanted was
repeat orders After eight months of
expensive experimenting we made a
| bar that was satisfactory in every
| way. Jobbers were found who were
glad to handle our product but it was
| found that there was very small mar
| gin in the manufacture of our goods
unless we had large plant and could
| make our bars in very large quanti-
ties. This meant big investment
which the present times would not
warrant. Last winter we succeeded
in reducing the cost of material 20
per cent. and the cost of manufacture
40 per cent. 1t was decided to en-
large the plant, and had the council
been willing to meet US half way we
would have employed a fair number
of hands all summer. The last two
months arrangements have been made
with selling agency to take all our
output, if capacity of the factory
could be increased, 50 that carload
orders could be filled. Also a deal
was made that would require the
building of a boiler room, bending
room and dry kiln. Employment for
ten to twenty men would be given all
winter or at least part of the winter.
Partial arrangements for the neces-
sary capital had been arranged for.
We have never asked the city for
Anything; the building has been lit
ted up at our own expense. Over
$4,000 has been invested in machinery,
tools, etc Over 5000 has been paid
out in wages, not salaries. All expert
menting has been done at our own
expense. No one was asked to take
stock until the factory was established
on paying basis.
. | have been away securing orders
On my return l find that the city
council has sold the plant over my
head without any notice to me of any
kind except a notice to vacate before
my lease expires.
Now, this is not written to start
controversy but simply to let Wausau
people know the reason why We are
advertising for site in some other
city. H. L. MUNIM.