The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-02-11
VANDIVORT And
MAYOR CLASH
over PARK DEED
Fair Director Would Bind
City From Ever Disposing
Of The Property.
CITY WONT BE TIED
THAT WAY, SAYS KAGE
Deal Not Closed and Fair Off
Gals Hand Out Silent
Treatment.

In the closing moments OF the ne
gotiations between the City and the
Fair and Park Association over the
purchase of the fairgrounds as a City
park, clash occurred between C. A.
Vandivort, one of the fair directors,
and Mayor Rage that may cause Sc
rious complications before the deal for
the purchase Of the park is finally
closed.
The controversy arose when, in draw
ing the deed for the park property,
Vandivort proposed to insert a sem
tence binding the city to hold the land
as City park forever.
Mayor Rage opposed this stipulation
by the fair director and declared that
the deed to be accepted by the city
should not contain any such agree
ment. -.
The deal for the purchase of the city
park has not been concluded yet The
money has not changed hands and the
deed has not been signed and turned
over to the city officials.
The clash over the question of the
city's rights to be able to dispose of
The proposed park property occurred
in Mayor Kage's office a couple of
days ago, when r. B. Oliver, Jr, who
is the attorney drafting the deed, the
Mayor and Mr.. Vandivort were dis
cussing the terms Of the deed.
Mr.. Vandivort brought up the SUBJ
ject, voicing his request that the at
torney include in the document the
sentence that the property is to be
used solely and exclusively as a pub
lie park by the City.
The Mayor declared that the deed
would not be acceptable to the City I'M
der that condition. He was backed up
by Attorney Oliver who declared that
the deed will contain virtually all of
the records leading to the purchase of
the park and that the additional SEN
tence will be unnecessary and inexpe-
dent. IL
The discussion became heated and
Mr.. Vandivort is said to have departed
saving he wonld take counsel with
President Blattner.
Yesterday, when it was expected
that the deal for the sale of the park
would be closed, the city officials To-
ceived silent treatment by the officials
of the Fair Association. The deed
never was shown to the Mavor. stoned
by President BlattnAr and the citv Off
GERS were not even informed if the
deed had been signed
The deed was drafted by Attorney
Oliver leaving out the sentence dis
qualifying the city from disposing of
the property.
The Mayor will make final exami-
nation Of the deed before he orders the
warrant for the $50, 900 drawn in favor
of the Fair and Park Association.
The money with which to buy the
park was received yesterday. The
bonds which arrived at City Clerk
Frissell's Office yesterday, were turned
over to City Treasurer ]. F. Master
son.
Masterson took them to the Sturdi-
want Bank where draft. for $40,62S
was drawn upon William Compton &
Co., of St. Louis, bond brokers, who
are taking the bonds from the Stur-
divant Bank.
This draft was deposited in the
First National Bank and the city has
to its credit SAL, 628 with which to buy
The park and make improvements.
The City already had placed $1,000 to
the credit of the park fund through
the certified check filed by the bank at
the time the bonds were sold.
Mr.. Vandivort's proposed stipulation
is not based upon the terms of the Of
fer and option that was given the City,
the Mayor pointed out, and at no time
has that specification been made part
of the City's agreemnet to buy
Looking many years into the future,
there is a possibility that the city will
have grown to such an extent that to
dispose of that land for business pur-
poses in the heart of a great city, will
be more profitable for a park system
than to hold it, the Mayor pointed out.