The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1912-06-14
MORE ABOUT GOOD ROADS
Blitchton, Fla, une IL, 1912.

L
| We know all large. todies move
slowly, and We are satisfied, when
the colonel carefully goes over the
field and takes the whole matter un-
der advisement and makes a few cal
culations and deductions, that he will
find that DR.. Bitch is not wrong. but
right. For instance, the present over
worked, over-zealous, poor county
commissioners are not the bone of
his contentious. Were it the case he
would have to go back for nearly a
generation And so far as the prl-
mary election is concerned we claim
| it is over or virtually so, except the
presidential convention, and ere the
fourth ballot of that august body at
Baltimore has been cast we hope Os-
car w. Underwood will receive the
nomination.
We, too, are proud of our court
house, Jail and the four splendid steel
bridges that span the Withlacoochee
river, and of the good, hospitable
people of Ocala, and we claim as
many friends there as the colonel
does. And that 95 acres of land,
worth nothing and sold for $3.50,
makes us feel good, and our hearts
and best wishes go out for Lynne and
its prosperity And let us tell you of
a deal just consummated out here of
cash; and then think where We are
away out here where there are no
rocked, very few straw and no dirt
roads to speak of. We have what
are called public highways. call
them shams. Now, just suppose we
had a few, or l will say, one of those
good rock roads that lead out of
Ocala and follows the railroad, there
is no telling what the result would
be. We will have to content our
selves and continue to pay 25 mills
for county and state purposes and 3
mills for district school purposes,
making 2S mills on the dollar, SO you
see the limit has about been reach
ed, and then what?
| think l hear someone say: WELL
we'll work the legislature or change
the constitution, and make the mill
age a 35-mill limit
Now, let's see what the "a grand
jurors had to say in regard to the
financial condition of our county. In
the first place they claim $125 per
month is too much for a road over
seer, and the law says 81 per day, or
S65 per month-too much for the
work done-and they think the con-
victs can, with little help, keep the
roads up. They also find S147,971.S3
aside from other Indebtedness, and 1T
seems to increase monthly. The
road fund has been now overdrawn
to the tune of $SS,S75.20, and it seems
to accumulate monthly, and they call
for halt.
If something is not done the little
children of today will, when they
shall have reached the age of matur-
ity. cry out Debt. Debit" and What
shall we do?" or "Why did our faith
ers before us pile up this enormous
debt on posterity?"
No. let's me men, and call a halt
now. It's got to be called, and why
not now. If it has to come to man.
damus, then let it be at once.
So far as the burglars blowing the
safe where the county's funds are
kept, it's all bosh, for if we have the
best management, with strict econ
omv. it will be far in the future be-
fore our county can claim a dollar.
Yes. many of the old heads will have
crossed the great divide. 1t is far
better to let the money remain in the
pockets of the tax payers than to col
lect it and pay it out for interest. L
do not know a man or a woman who
objects to paying a reasonable tax on
| property. | do hope our county
commissioners will conduct the n
nances of the county as they do their
own individual business and apply
the old adage to owe no man aught
but good will"
There was, once upon time a
preacher, whom we suppose llVed
close to a sacred manse on the Ba-
hama Islands, and he was billed TO
preach a sermon to lot of young men
from the 9th chapter of Genesis. Just
before the hour had arrived. bad
boy slipped in and pasted over vers-
es 13. IA and Is these words; AND
Noah's wife was three hundred GU
bits long, and her breadth fifty cuoits
and her height thirty cubits, and she
was pitched inside and out" the