The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-04-29
PENSACOLA FLORIDA SUNDAY MORNING. APRIL %. 1906
Wanted-A Few First Class
Funerals IN Pensacola.

Funerals In Pensacola.
At the risk Of some one rising up
aud charging it with being a
pknocker." The Journal is going TO
say a few words this morning which
Il has long thought ought to be said
but which, until this time, il has re-
Trained from putting into cold type
Pensacola is a live city-a great
heal more alive than it used to be
hut not nearly so much alive as il
ought to be.
But Pensacola. more than any other
town of which We can now think, is
composed Of OppOsites and cOntraries,
and the results which should come
from the efforts of her progressive
element are in many cases more than
neutralized by the opposite influence
OF the nOn-propressive, dead element
whose spirit, like a deadly incubus,
has stayed the progress of the city
for decades.
What Pensacola needs more than
anything else is a few first class Cor
possibly it would be more proper to
say second class) funerals.
The dead ones should be buried.
They are Of no use to themselves or
10 anyone else. A few nice, quiet
respectable funerals, with soft music
snG tastefully selected floral tributes
and the whole problem Of Pensa-
cOla's future would be solved.
There are people in this city who
own real estate that they will neither
utilize themselves nor allow anyone
else to utilize. There are excellent
business sites, either on Palafox
street or within easy reach of it, that
could not be bought if the purchaser
was willing to cover them with gold
Eieces. The owners have no use for
them. They do not intend to build
stores or hotels or Office buildings or
anything else on them. They get no
returns from this property and they
are afraid if they sold it that some
enc else might make a few dollars
where they have been unable to do
90.
Until the obstacles which prevent
the utilization and improvement of
such pieces Of property are removed
through the medium of the funerals
mentioned above, every foot Of that
vacant space should be taxed at the
full cash price that wOuldlbe purchas-
ers will offer for It. Every vacant
lot In the business section of the city
should be forced 70 pay taxes on the
value which progressive buyers are
willing 10 pay the owners for it.
Then, If those owners, persistently
and stubbornly, still refuse to take
ahe funeral route, they will at least
be forced to pay a proper tax on prop
erty that they now hold to the detri-
ment Of every other tax payer in
Pensacola.
There is enough money lying idle
On the banks, in private vaults, in old
stockings, and buried away in the
earth in Pensacola, to build every
foot Of the proposed railroad to Anda-
ausia. But the owners are afraid to
chance any of it on the project be-
cause some one else might make a
dollar or they themselves might not
make as much as they think they
ought to make.
People who have idle money ana.
won't use il, or vacant real estate
and won't improve it, are Of no value
30 Pensacola or any other city. When
they die. nothing but tears of glad
ness viii be shed and IL they would
III consent to die at one time, the
city could afford TO erect a monument
81 gratitude for the act.
Happily the progressive element of
The Desp Water City is asserting it
self at every turn and despite the
load which Il has to carry in the way
Of these altogether proper grave
yard subjects, Pensacola is going
ahead as never before and when il
Is fnally relieved Of ell obstacles it
viii take a jump to the front THAI
win astOnish the eyes Of the business
world.