The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-06-02
RATsl RATsl RATsI
Several in Marion County's Meal Bar
rel and Others Gnawing at
the HoopS


In one of my letters to the Banner
some time ago 1 made mention that
if there was rat in Marion county's
meal barrel, I'd find it, sure. Well,
| have found it.
No, not IT; but RATS!
Below is one of the rats. Look at
it, study it, examine it:
"An act to authorize the board of
county commissioners of Marion coun-
ty, Florida, to refund certain county
warrants or scrip issued, or to be used
by the board of county commission
ers of Marion county, Florida, and to
validate the same and to provide for
the payment of interest thereon"
The bill was introduced in the
house by Col Rogers and in the SEN
ate by Mr.. Carney, and signed by the
governor on May 4th.
The meaning of the above bill is
as follows: 1t means that our county
commissioners have illegally issued
warrants to the amount of 100000,
and Illegally contracted to spend $751;
900 additional, and to make these
warrants good the legislature passed
special legislation validating the ac
ton of our county commissioners.
Not only Marion county, but many
of the other counties of the state,
have had their Illegally made legal
by the present legislature.
Is this a safe and wise policy for
our officials to pursue?
Rat No. 2:
Mr.. Foreman of the Grand Jury,
please read chapter TIP, Laws of Flor
ida:
They (the county commissioners |
shall make out at the first regular
sitting in each year full and COM
plete statement Of all moneys collect |
ed for county taxes or otherwise re- |
ceived for county purposes, and the
disbursements of the same, stating
the name and each person to whom
and upon what account the same was |
paid, and the date of said payment, |
and they shall cause at least two cop |
les of the same to be posted in two |
of the most public places in said coun-
ty They shall deliver to the foreman
of the grand jury a copy of said state
ment at the first session of the circuit |
court of said county next ensuing the |
time specified for issuing the said
statement, and it shall be the duty of |
the said grand jury to examine into
the correctness of said statement, and |
to report thereon to the judge presid- |
ing at said court"
Mr.. Foreman, have the county COM |
missioners furnished you a copy of
the above statement, as the law d.
reefs?
No!
How are you going to comply with
the instructions of the above law?
We can do nothing, not having a |
statement from the county commits
sioners as to the examining of our
county finances and making a report
on the same to the presiding judge.
Rat No. 2 was tagged. The in
scription thereon read thus: The
people be damned; the law be damn
ed, We county commissioners are a
law unto ourselves; we are under no
bonds; we spend all the money we
next legislature to legalize our lille
gal acts; we refuse, upon written re-
quest, to publish financial statement
of county finances; we refuse to fur
nish the grand jury a copy of our fl
nances; we are determined the peo-
| pie shall not be informed of our meth
cd of disbursing the peoples money!
Rat No. is not in the meal barrel,
but will get in, sure, unless there is
heroic effort to keep it out. Here it
| is:
May LIST, $4,000 cash on hand: $685.
900 to collect. The state gets $4,000
of it, leaving $4,000 for the county
Five months till license collecting
time; six months till tax collecting
time; spring term of court to pay for;
two months schools to pay for, and
$4,000 on hand. April disburse-
ments, $4,000!
Is the rat going to get in the meal
barrel?
The only way to keep the rat out
of the barrel is for our county com
missioners to refuse to spend more
than they collect, or have the courts
enjoin the commissioners from Dor
rowing and spending money illegally,
or have the legislature mend our tax
laws compelling the owners of $4,000 /