The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-09-15
PROMOTERS WHO
SEEK FRANCHISES
OF Value From Municipalities
Are Usually Mere
SpecuIatOrs.
Palatka Tax Payers Must Work Sharp
and Quick to Escape Them.


The Palatka News was the first and
only paper TO sound the alarm against
the Adventures who recently succeeded
in working the present city council for
valuable electric lighting and power
franchise.
The News does not speak of this
boastingly, but simply in justification OF
the position il then took, position
which subsequent events have proven
were sound.
1t will be remembered that the fran
chise which on July 18th was given to
"Hammatt and associates" was origi-
nally asked for ip the name of "F. r.
Clark and associates" at special meet
ing of the city council on Wednesday
evening, June 18th.
In its issue of June 10th the News said:
"Could any emergency arise at this time
which would justify the city council in
GIVING AWAY valuable 80 year fran
chisel Is it dignified in the city coun-
Gil to waste time in dickering with a
crowd of professional promoters, fran
chise grabbers and speculatorS' Has not
Palatka reached period in IFS develop
ment when a public service franchise
has district money yalue?"
The News asked these questions at
that time because ii hoped 10 stem the
tide of sentiment which was being Gre
ated by Mayor Howell A. Davis, II. M.
de Montmollin, ]. N. Walton and others
who were favorable TO GIVING fran.
chise TO these promoters. 1t believed
these men were being imposed upon.
The News only BELIEVED at that
time what il now KNOWS.
1t believed that +. r. Clark would be
unable TO BUY franchise.
1t now KNOWS he couldn't BUY
last years straw hat if he had TO pay for
il in money.
1t KNOWS that he owes poor men in
this city for day wages. 1t knows he
hasn't the credit sufficient TO buy a box
of tacks. II also knows that if he should
return to this city or TO ST. Johns Park
that there are men here and there who
would need more of the grace of God
than they now enjoy TO keep them from
spelling his face.
c. S. Hammatt and his associates
were finally substituted for this man
Clark, and to them the franchise was
GIVEN.
If Mr.. Hammatt secured the franchise
it had TO be GIVEN-he couldn't PAY
for ii.
Now what about Mr. Hammatt. The
News knows nothing against him, and
| ii hopes never TO hear of anything
against him.
He is simply promoter. His aSsoci-
ates are not known. The chances are
he has none yet.
His plan was to get the franchise. He
secured that, on condition that he was
TO have 30 days in which to accept it
sign it-9O days from July 18th, which
means October 18th.
Mr.. Hammatt said "that he and his as
sociateS would not accept the franchise
unless he could get the lighting con
tract"
Should he get the lighting contract
he would go out and form company.
He would then have working basis.
If he should fail to form his new com
pany in time he wouldn't be out any
thing. He could probably sell the light.
ing contract to the Palatka Gas Light
and Fuel Co. whose bid was so much
lower than his own; that would be only
a legitimate business deal on the part oi
the losing company.
The whole scheme of these franchise
grabberS constitutes the cheapest attempt
10 "pulI the leg" of city that has come
to the attention of this paper in many
years. 1t outclasSes in freshness the
'open arms" and cordial greetings
with which some of these same citizens
installed the late Contractor Cunning
ham and gave him preference. over home
contractors, as would the efforts of {
Yankee farmer TO get into she'll game
be outclassed by the freshness of some
of the rube bankers who have been pic
tured as dumping their "long green
into bushel basket and rushing pell mel
TO invest it with sect Rich Quick Wal
lingford."