New-York tribune., 1918-08-23
Mt. Vernon Made
"Water Tight ON
Hearst's Papers
New OrdinanceProvide for
Licenses Only to ''Dealers
Of Good Repute''
BY BRIGGS

MT. VERNON, N. Y, Aug. %. At a
special meeting last night the city
counclmen unanimously passed an or
dlnancc which they believe will "caulk
up" any legal holes through which
Hearst newspapers might seep into Mt.
Vernon.
Tho new ordinance provides that IL
sellers and distributors Of newspapers
must procure a license under penalty
of S1OO fine for failure. The ordinance
reads that licenses shall be issued only
to "dealers of good repute"
When it comes to issuing licenses,
city officials will not consider as rep
utable those special agents Of Will
lam Randolph Hearst who have been
attempting 20 MAINTAIN the circulation
OF Hearst papers in this city in viola
ton of Mt Vernon ordinance bar
ring Hearst papers amd German Ian
suage papers from the city limits.
City Now "Watertight'
The new ordinance was passed to
back up the original anti-Hearst or
dinance All the local newsdealers
have been obeying the first ordinance
and have refrained from selling Hearst
and German papers. But when Hearst
rushed special agents to sell his pub
ncatlons in this city Corporation Coun-
sci j. Henry Esser deemed it advisable
rot to arrest them under the first anti
Hearst ordinance. for legal reasons
preferring to await the passage of the
new ordinance before prccipitating 4
showdown on the Hearst question.
Mr.. Esser said to-day that the new
ordinance would make Mt. Vernon ab-
solutely "watertight" as regards dis
loyal newspapers; and that, he said.
was what this city was after.
FIVE hundred persons packed the
council chamber last night when the
ordnance was considered. Alderman
X. j. Secor, who, with his associate
from the ath Ward, f. E. Wood, cast
the only votes against the original
anti Hearst legislation, voted in favor
of the new ordinance Aldermen Wood
and Joseph Carey voted negatively on
the first ballot last night Carey cx-
planned his vote by saying he wanted
to see the original ordinance enforced
Alderman R. f. Caygil sharply criti-
clsed Carey's vote, saying it was dis
loyal to the memory of Carey's own
nephew who has been reported missing
III L france.
Vote Made Unanimous
After the ordinance had been passed
Carey moved that the vote be made
unanimous, which was done, Wood
finally voting favorably. When this
occurred the citizens in attendance
made the building shake with their an
plause.
The new ordinance will become ef-
fective in about week.
Another Hearst agent was fined s5
in court to-day. He was James Dovle
local young man, who was arreste d
under an old city ordinance recurring
that operators of newsstands must
have a permit from the Mayor. He
was arrested on complaint Of e. B.
Loveland, local distributor of the coat
lapel buttons inscribed 81 Do Not Read
Hearst Papers. Samuel Perlstein, of
Brooklyn, received a suspended sem
tence on the same charge.
The decision Of New York news
papers, except The Tribune, to stand
by Hearst in the New York newsdeal-
ers' war against him, was felt in This
city to-day. When the Mount Vernon
newsdealers quit handling Hearst pa
pers they increased their orders for
other New York dailies. Until TO-DAY
"The New York World" sent the extra
copies ordered. But now the dealers
can procure only the number of
WORLDS" they customarly sold before
PUBLIC sentiment in Mount Vernon
hared up against the Hearst news.