The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1917-02-17
:ARM0RY BUSINESS
. PROPOSITION IN
BEMIDJI;; THAT IS
ALL IHERE'S1OlT
SIS, 900 of Outside Money Would Be
Brought and Spent Here for
Craftsmen and Labor.
SO, ,ooos MORE ADDED IF
BOND ISSUE IS CARRIED
Speakers at Mass Meeting Explain
Their Opinions; Nations Editors
Coming; What's the Answer?
$8. .000t MORE ADDED IF
BOND ISSUE IS CARRIED

Shall Bemidji have an armory
building, combining a suitable audi
torium for the entertainment of con-
ventions. exhibitions, public gather
ings, etc., the structure to be of
brick, handsome in design, modern
in every detail and a permanent,
ksubstantial improvement for the
scity, or shall she not?
This is substance was the topic
discussed at the mass meeting at the
city hall last evening to explain what
the project is, what it means, the
cost thereof and any other point up
on which enlightenment was de-
sired.
Plans and sketches of the proposed
building were opened for inspection
and show a handsome design which
would be credit to any community.
Purely Business Proposition.
E. A. Barker, lieutenant of the
Bemidji naval militia, presided and
explained the object of the meet
= ing, cal1ingsupon E.. e. Mcdonald to
Explain what the armory PROPOSE
tion embodied.
Mr.. Mcdonald spoke at length and
from the viewpoint of the many ad-
-vantages that would accrue from the
city possessing such a structure. He
said no city could stand still-must
either go forward or decay. He ask
ed that the proposition be looked at
as something that Bemidji needed,
with the proposition of the city CIV
ing $4,000 and receiving $4,000
from the state for the erection of a
$4,000 building in Bemidji. He
said the proposition resolved it's self
Simply into one strictly business and
THAT the $4,000 was to be given
by the state outright without a cent
of interest.
-. Cost is. Slight.
All the cost would be the bonds
of $4,000 voted by the city to ex-
tend over a period of twenty years,
at 4 per cent, payment not to COM
mence for five years and then $500
per year, to be spread over the entire
assessed valuation of the city. He
called attention to the future resi-
dents of the city participating in the
payment of. the bonds and interest,
not only those who ere present resi-
dents. He stated that was the prin-
,ciple of all bond Issues, no matter
what for, and was the why of the
extension over q period of several
years-that those OF the future who
received benefits Should also share
the expense of the benefits SO de-
rived.
Kaplan in Negative.
Morris Kaplan also spoke and op-
posed the armOry proposition in
: toto. He asserted that he was not
at all opposed to the erection of a
municipal auditorium for the city
and was willing to assist any such
proposition even to the issuance of
bonds up to $4,000 or whatever was
desired, but was not willing to sup
port a project that would be con-
trolled by the state and not the peO-
pie of Bemidji. He stated he did not
doubt the sincerity of Mr.. Barker in
the least, but was opposed to any
project for the people of such nature
that wasn't purely local, and that if
it was to be an auditorium for the
people he wanted the military feature
amputated entirely.
Roy Carter also spoke briefly, ex-
pressing himself as opposed to the
proposition.
600 Editors Coming.
Late in the meeting, H. M. Clark
catered the hall. He had been en-
gagged in long distance phoning to
st. Paul, with H. E. Reynolds, and
as he was called upon for his views
he exhibited a message from Mr..
Reynolds which stated that the lat
ter had been successful in inducing
the National Editorial association,
through the Minnesota Editorial as
sociation, to come to Bemidji in June
on the annual trip throughout a
large portion of the country, their
itinery including the northern por-
ton of the United States this year.
This will mean the coming of fully
500 of the leading editors and news
PAPER men of the United States to
SBemidji for a visit enroute and Mr..
Clark said that all he had to say was
that he hoped Bemidji would have
a suitable place in which to enter
tain the distinguished visitors, as
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