The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-05-24
GRAND JURY
ADJOURNS
State Auditor Finds Accounts of For
ner Tax Collector in Good Shape
New and Better Quarters Recon-.
rnended for Inmates of Poor Farm
other Recommendation Made
To the Hon. w. S. Bullock. Judge Of
the Fifth Judicial Circuit:

To the Hon. w. S. Bullock. Judge Of
the Fifth Judicial Circuit:
We, the grand jury, in making this,
our final presentment. wish to say
that We have diligently examined into
all cases that have come before us,
hnding true bills where there was
sufficient evidence in our opinion to
warrant
A committee was appointed to in
vestlgate the poor farm and they re-
port on same as follows:
Found the white quarters in good
shape, but the negro quarters in bad
condition. and unsanitary. We rec
ommend that the indigents of the
county be moved to a less expensive
place than this farm is now to the
county. The expense is too great
The farm. we understand, is being
rented by the county at a rental of
$50 per month. while the whole prop
crty recently sold for $4,000.
We suggest that a more comforta-
BILE home can be found for these peo-
pie al a much less cost to the county.
Our visit to the jail revealed the
fact that we have in this institution a
very fine piece of property, and is
now IN a most excellent condition, SO
far as the cleanliness and actual need
OF the prisoners are concerned. How
ever, we find that the building leaks
In several places, and we recommend
that this be repaired at once. Also
that an outside wall or high iron
fence be placed around the pail, and
that the windows in the insane de-
partment be screened with heavy
grating for protection from accident
by breaking of the glass windows.
A visit 20 the county offices found
that the books in all are in excellent
shape, well and intelligently kept,
and are comprehensive. However, the
floors In the offices of the superin-
tendent of public instruction, collect
or and Judge are in bad repair; in
some places, sunken. This, with the
had condition of the grand jury room
and falling OF plaster in the hall, as
far as we are able to ascertain, are
the only bad places in the building.
n has been brought to our knowl-
edge that the county commissioners
have been rather careless in issuing
licenses 20 carry firearms, and rec
ommend that i'm future they be more
careful cautious and prudent, and ex-
anime into the moral character Of
the applicant before issuing licenses.
We also recommend that permit No.
1915. issued 10 Ivy c. e. Whisenanr,
be revoked, as we do not believe him
a proper person to carry firearms.
We have examined into the conf
missi0ners' system of building hard
roads. and find that the expense ap-
pears to be too great for the work
accomplished, and that the road fore
mans salary of SIPS monthly is ell
tirely too much lor this position, IS
the law provides 50 per day, which is
a reasonable amount for the work
and responsibility that the position
carries with Il; also that the teams
hauling material to the roads are in
sufficiently loaded. or in our opinion,
% be strictly humane, they could
still be more heavily loaded.
We respectfully recommend that
the county convicts be kept on the
roads, and that the work on the Ocala
and Dunnellon road be finished be-
fore they are moved. but only with
convict labor. and that each precinct
have It's pro rata share of the road
tax, together with the work of the
convict labor. We find that there has
been discrimination made in the diff
fcTent road districts, and that some
sections have been almost entirely
neglected. This is most noticeable
IN the Blitchton district. In our opin-
Ton. we believe the county convicts
ought 10 be kept on the roads in the
county. and they should be able to
keep them In first class condition at
a very small cost to the tax payers
OF the county. We also believe that
our county commissioners have lost
sight OF the amount of Indebtedness
they have banked up on our tax pay
ers. There seems to be a gradual in
crease OF Indebtedness monthly,
which Is now around the sum of S147,-
97i.S3, exclusive of the school fund in
debtedness, and think it is time to
call a halt. and reduce this matter,
before making further Indebtedness.