The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-08-10
LOCAL COMPANY
RILED OVER use
OF PICNIC MONEY.
Capt. Balm, Commander of
Cape Company, Has Dis
pute Over Earnings.
COMMERCIAL CLUB WILL
GIVE MONEY TO LADIES
President Leming Says Civic Inn
provement Should Direct Ex-
penditures of Co.

A wave of Indignation has swept
over the merchants of the city who
donated so freely for the successful
picnic given for the benefit of Com
pany L last week, when they learned
that NJ E. Leming, president of the
Commercial Club, had declined to turn
over the money realized from the en-
tertainment to the officers of the COM
pany. Many who donated said yester-
day upon learning of the refusal Of
Mr.. Leming that they had donated the
supplies with the understanding that
the company would receive the benefit
of the entertainment as had been adj
vertised by the Commercial Club in
the newspapers and agreed upon in the
meeting held to make the arrange
ments for the affair.
Coincident with the indignation
aroused among the business men,
comes the disappointment of the ladies
of the Civic Improvement Association
who aided in making the picnic the
greatest event of the year. Many have
asserted that they performed this
work and sacrificed their time with the
understanding that Company L would
receive the profits of the entertain
ment and that the money realized
from the picnic after deducting the
expenses would be turned over to the
company by the Commercial Club.
Capt. Wilson C. Balm, who is in
command of the company, said yester-
day he had called on Mr.. Leming Wed
nesday and asked that he be given
the profits of the picnic, as the men
were in dire need of clothing and
other wearing apparel. He told Mr..
Leming that some of the boys belong
ing to the company had given up their
positions and were without any means,
and that number of them needed
principally shoes and clothing.
Mr.. Leming, who is in st. Louis, ac-
cording to Capt. Balm, declined to listen
to the proposition, but insisted that
the officers present to him a list of
things needed for the men, and that
he would recommend the purchase of
these articles be bought and charged
against the Commercial Club. Capt.
Balm in turn explained he could not
say at that time just what was needed
by the men, and he would not like to
buy everything for the company on
credit, but would like to pay cash for
the purchases.
According to the figures furnished
The Tribune several days ago by Earl
G. Gramling, one of the members of
the Finance Committee, which had
charge of the receipts for the picnic,
the event brought approximately
$1,000. He said he estimated the net
profit of the entertainment about $500,
but could not give an exact figure for
the reason that the bills had not been
paid.
Since the mobilization of the Ma
tional Guard, the Government, Capt.
Balm said yesterday, will bear the ex-
pense of feeding the members of the
company at the rate of IS cents day,
while the lodging of the members of
the company and other expenses must
be betrayed from other sources. A
majority Of the members of Company
L are out-of-town boys and are vir-
tually without any means.
Some of the merchants who donated
supplies for the picnic have assured
Capt. Balm and DR.. C. E. Schuchert,
they would call upon Mr.. Leming as
head of the band of the regiment, that
soon as he returns to the city and see
whether he will not turn the money
realized from the picnic over to Capt.
Balm and Bandmaster Schuchert and
let them use their own judgment in ex-
pending this money.
One of the merchants, who donated
very literally to the cause of the en-
tertainment, told the officers of the
company that he would present their
bill to the Commercial Club for the
supplies they gave for the picnic if
Mr.. Lerning failed to make this agree
ment.
He said he had understood that the