Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-05-25
ANSWER is FILED IN
THEATRE LEASE CASE.
Defendant Charges There Is
a Conspiracy to Put Him
Out of Business

In answer to the petition of William
Norris, receiver for the Hubbard build
ing, to the circuit court to terminate
the lease of the Willamette Amuse-
ment company to that portion of the
Hubbard Building known as the Ore
gon theater and release the theater to
I. G. Bligh, the Willamette Amusement
company today filed statement of
their side of the case in which they al
lege that the petition filed is con-
spiracy between 7. G. Bligh, w. II.
Norris, and A. 0. Condit, attorney for
the receiver, to drive the Willamette
Amusement company out of business.
The answer states there are three
motion picture theaters in Salem, two
OF which are operated by T. G. Bligh
and one by the Willamette Amusement
company. The one owned by the Will
lamette Amusement company furnishes
the only competition sto the theaters of
T. G. Bligh, and it is declared that the
reason Bligh wants the theater is be-
cause its success in competition with
him.
1.-TWO of the statements in the re-
ceiver's petition are entirely false" >"
says the answer, Sand they were
known to be entirely false by the re-
ceiver and by his attorney, A. o.
Condit when the petition of the re-
ceiver was served and filed"
Says Rent Is Paid
In his petition to the court to term
mate the lease of the Willamette
Amusement company Receiver Norris
stated that the company was delin-
quent in the payment of its rent in
that since April %, 1916, when special
reduction of rent from $3.50 to 5000 a
month terminated, they continued to
pay only 5000 month when "no order
has been made by this court for any
reduction in said rental after the said
% of April, 1916"
The answer states that 5000 a month
was paid and accepted by the receiver
with the sanction of the court and that
on December 26, 1916, the court made
and entered is order authorizing and
directing the receiver to collect and ac-
cept from the amusement company the
sum of 5000 in full rental of the
theater and continue to collect and ac-
cept the said sum monthly until further
order of the court.
Further, the answer declares that no
claim or demand Of any kind whatso-
ever has ever been made by the re-
ceiver or by any one acting for him
for any greater or additional rental
than 5000 monthly. In addition, the
answer charges that the offer of T. G.
Bligh to pay $400 monthly rental for
the thater space in the Hubbard build
ing is not made in good faith, and is
intended solely for the purpose of in
juring and endeavoring to drive out Of
business the amusement company.
Made Misrepresentation.
In regard to the application of the
company for an order au-
thorizing the receiver to make three
year extension of the company lease,
which terminates February %, 1918, at
the hearing on the petition A. o. Con-
dit, acting for Fannie E. Hubbard,
that she objected to any
extension of the lease. The answer
states that Sin truth and in fact, Fan
ME E. Hubbard was not objecting and
did not object in any manner to the
extension Of the lease, and did not
nor direct A. o. Condit to
make any objections whatsoever, but
that in making the objections and in
securing the decision of the court based
on the objections, he was actuated by
some ultericr motive.
The company goes on TO show that it
has spent $34O0 in improving the build
ing and that it has at all times paid in
full its rental.