Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1916-11-03
OFFICIALS SAY
STORY IS FALSE
Mayor and Commissioners
Brand Potato Yarn as
Wholly Unf0unded

Wholly UnfOunded
A statement has been issued by May
or Carter and Commissioners Ehr-
mann and Berry denouncing the story
in circulation about the streets regard
ing the alleged stopping of the sale
OF potatoes from a car in the local
yards to people of the city.
The story is branded as false in its
entirety and wholly without founda.
tion. The officials in the statement
which bears their signatures, explain
all that they had to do with the potato
selling incident, showing that a license
was issued the salesman and stating
that another will be issued if request
ed. The statement follows:
The city council VS.. lot of infa-
nous lies about a carload Of potatoes.
To the people of Ottumwa, Iowa:
Statements are being circulated
throughout the city regarding the atti-
tude Of the mayor and commissioners
toward certain carload of potatoes
that was sold and delivered from a
railroad car last week.
These statements vary, from claim
that Mr.. Brown was forced to discon-
tinue the sale of his potatoes, to one
that the mayor had him arrested, fined
5000 and confiscated the potatoes.
Where and from whom these stories
originated, we do not know, nor wheth-
er they are the result of misunder-
standing or deliberate attempt to de-
fame the city council, but we want to
go on record now as stating that there
is absolutely not one word Of truth In
any Of these Infamous stories.
Here are the facts:
Possibly two weeks ago, Mr.. Brown
called up the city clerks office and
asked about the ordinance that re-
quired peddlers to pay license, and
asked If 1t compelled person who
took orders first and made delivery
afterward to pay license. He was
informed that 1t did not. The next we
heard Of the matter was last Saturday
morning when someone, called the
clerks Office and informed the clerk
that someone was selling potatoes
from = car near the C. B. & @. depot
and asking II d license had been taken
out. He was informed that license
had not been issued and that the mat
ter would be looked into. Mr.. Ehr-
mann and Mr.. Berry were in the
clerks ofice at the time and the mat
ter was referred to them. The mayor
was not present at the time and did
not knew Of the report until he heard
of 1t on the street. In less than one
half hour after we were informed and
before either Commissioners Berry or
Ehrmann had left the clerks ONCE,
Mr. Brown telephoned and asked II he
would be expected to pay license II
he peddled the potatoes from the car
without having previously taken or
ders for them. The ordinance was
read to him and he remarked that It
evidently applied to him in this case
and to make him out a license for one
day and he would send check to pay
for same The license was issued, the
check came and we thought the incl
dent was closed until these persistent,
pernicious, false stories were put into
circulation by someone. II they orig
mated from misunderstanding Of the
case we want to say that insofar as
they apply to the city council trying
to prefent Mr.. Brown from disposing
of his potatoes, they are wrong: but II.
as we have reason to believe, they
started from a desire to cause trouble
to the mayor and commissioners, they
are the rahkest kind Of deliberate, un-
qualified falsehoods. There was no ef-
fort made by the mayor and commits
sioners or any other person connected
with the city government to interfere
| IN any way with Mr.. Browns business.
Furthermore, all the license that was
paid by Mr.. Brown was paid without
solicitation by anyone with authority
| to do go and without trouble Of any
kind. for as soon as Mr. Brown knew
what the ordinance required he did
like all good citizens should do, com.
piled without kick OF any kind.
Further. the mayor and commission.
ers are willing to go on record now
by saying that II anyone will agree to
bring potatoes or any other commodity
that can be and will be sold to the
consumer at a price that will material
ly reduce the cost to the poor people OF
the city. they will give them all the
assistance they can. even to the paying
@ the license required by the city or
dinance out Of their own pockets il
necessary.
F. II. Carter. Mayor.
Fritz A. Ehrmann.
W. ]. Berry.
Commissioners.
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