The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-01-26
VOX POPULI.
TAKES EXCEPTION TO
JOURNALS STATEMENT

Editor Pensacola Journal.
sundays issue states editoriaiiy that
ne:sEer Pensacola nor the federal gov
eFnmeEf reaps q penny's worth OF
beEeht from the navy yard. That
statement is exactly half true-the fed
esai government is not benefited by the
Pensacola navy yard. There has been
great deal written and said about the
navy yard and nine-tenths OF the
orators and authors have only a vague
Idea OF what they are talking about.
A notable example of this is the writer
OF Sundays editorial. It is true that
the navy yard is dilapidated and wears
Ia woe begone appearance. We have
the unique spectacle OF an admiral. who
viii soon be the ranking active officsr
Of the navy, in command of a mere
handful Of people and an admittedly
useless yard. Considering his rank,
Admiral Young has little on the famous
Colonel Stewart when duty assigned is
considered. The admiral deserves bet.
ter things, and this is not to be con-
strued as an attack on him. on the
contrary 1t IL Just cited as a fine exam
pie OF the irony Of tina navy depart
ment.
But deviate. Let us see what the
navy yard brings Pensacola as 1t
stands-perhaps totters would be the
better word. For obvious reasons the
figures that follow are not exact, but
they are close enough and have been
shipped little If anything.
Pay roll, officers. enlisted
men. and labor. SIS. 900 per mo.
subsistence ............ 900 per mo.
Maintenance ....-...... 1.100 per mo.
Total ............s....$ SIT 800 per mo.
It is fair to assume that s12,00U
monthly Of the pay roll money finds ite
way to Pensacola All Of the subsis-
tence contracts are with Pensacola
firms. WAile possibly not over 800
per month goes to Pensacola for main
tenance, that is Pensacola's fault and
not the governments. However, this
gives total of s12,650 good outside
dollars that without even disreputa-
BILE navy yard. would never come TO
Pensacola. Moreover, not ono cent Of
this money leaves Pensacola as profits.
The above statement does not fncIuSe
the pay of a company of marines sta
toned at the yard-about $500 per
month. So altogether we have an aver
age Of s13,450 per month or s161,400
per annuIn rolling into Pensacola, clear
profit Find how much money Pensa-
cola has invested in the navy yard,
then figure the rate of annual interest
represented by $161,4o and you will
find a profit Of something like 100000
per cent.
All of the above by way of adjuration
hot hah 20 10
less bowling about departmental injus-
tice and sectional favoritisn. 1t would
be better to spend more money to get
something out Of a tight-fsted admin
istration and less on banouets and
mutual admiration talk tests.
I am not signing my name hereto.
not because I am afraid to put my
name to my opinions, but for other
reasons. I am not a knocker. I would
rather live in Pensaco than any place
on earth. and I think The Journal for
the size Of the town is the best paper
In the United States. but I believe
everything can be improved and surely
believe In accuracy and fair play. I
do not care a variegated cuss whether
you publish this or not. The govern
ment has been good to some of US and
we hate to see her handed lot Of I'M
deserved wallops, Lord knows that old
navy department is getting enough It
has fully earned.
But please be accurate in your state
ments. I would bet q Stetson hat to a
footless stocking without leg that tbs
navy yard right now brings more real
money to Pensacola than any other in
stitution, and this howl about you
would rather have nothing than what
you have would make monkey wrench
smile.
MORTIMER CRENsHAw.