Salt Lake Tribune | 1904-05-26 | Page 2 | Big Rent for Bootblack Stand

BIG RENT FOR " BOOTBLACK STAND Business Men Charge $25 a Month for the Privilege of Occupying a Place on Public Street. BEFORE tho Streets committee of the City Council the startling development de-velopment was made last" night that M. H. Walker and the Smith Drug company have been charging the owners of the bootblack stand $25 per month for the privilege of maintaining their little open place of business upon one of the public thoroughfares of; Salt Lake City. The owners of the stand which used to be one Second South Btreet up against the eouth wall of tho Smith drug store building are James Pappas and Theodore Bockos. Before the members of the Streets committee it was stated by one of the men last night that they had been paying the above named man or firm the sum of $25 a month as rent for the privilege of placing their stand upon the city's sidewalk. The Council recently passed a resolution reso-lution prohibiting -the maintaining of bootblack stands upon the streets of the city. Pappas and Brockos?, the owners of the stand that stood near Smith's drug store petitioned the Council Coun-cil for the special privilege of running their little 10-oeht business at the old stand. They set out In their communication communi-cation that they recently, on March 25, purchased the stand from one C. S. Seals for ?290. They further stated that they understood the consideration paid Included w th the stand the right to maintain the same .where it stood The action of the Council, they said. In throwing them off the street, placed a hardship upon them that they could 111 afford to bear. Accomnanvlnir the notltlon was a lot- tor from the Smith Drug company saying say-ing that the owners ot the stand were poor, hard-working and industrious men. that It would be a hardship upon them to be compelled to give up their business, and recommended that the privilege be granted. The letter was concurred in and Indorsed by M. H. Walker as the owner of the building occupied by the drug firm. Inquiry into the motives behind the indorsements of tho poor bootblacks' petition brought out the statements that they pay $25 a month to the lndorsers to occupy a public street. The members of the committee had been Inclined to grant the petition until un-til they learned the true state of affairs as given. They opened their eyes when they had heard about the rental paid, and for that reason took unfavorable action upon the petition.