The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-01-16
vOX PoPULI.
THINKS CITY HAS NEED
FOR CARGO OF CHALK.
Pensacola, Fla. Jan. Is, 1918.

Pensacola, Fla. Jan. Is, 1918.
Editor Pensacola Journal:
noticed In a recent issue of your
paper that steamer has just arrived
with a cargo Of 5000 tons OF chalk
would most respectfully recommend
that the city Of Pensacola buy this
cargo to be used in whitening tlescfty
government instead of whitewashing
them. OF course, I realize that the
chalk would not be as good for dis
injecting them as lime but no one
supposes there is anything rotten"
in the city government but the peo-
pie know 1t is very much tainted.
A short time ago the city council
passed an ordinance that the auto
mobiles for rent must carry council
men to their homes regardless Of how
far out they live for twenty-five cents
each up to II p. m: also other per-
sons who live near the councilmen
come under this ordinance. As some
Of them live over one and a half miles
from the center of town, and the reg
ular hack rates have always been
twenty-five cents per mile or fraction
thereof, this ordinance is simply a
means Of grating a quarter from these
automobiles that have to carry pas
sengers more than mile, under pre-
tense of law.
The same ordinance says that these
automobiles must have a sign dis
played on them with the following
words: Taxi cab for hire" am
sorry the outside world should know
we have such ignoramuses running our
city, and don't know there is not
taxi cab in use here, but IL there were
any the words, For hire" would be
superhuous and unnecessary, as the
word taxi" has by common usage
come to mean automobile for hire
since the advent of the motor car, but
if the automobile is of the cab type
then 1t is taxi cab"
This same ordinance makes the
takes common carries SO they will
have to carry common characters, as
we'll as other persons, without dis
elimination. 1t seems they thought
the taxi drivers might refuse to carry
some members of the council When
approached about this ordinance be-
ing passed, one of the council members
remarked: THE taxi drivers knew
there was going to be some taxi or
dinances introduced and they ought TO
have been at the meeting to watch
H. w Gil, II Ln0y n66OeQ
then they need 1t at all other times
just as much. But when the question
of a municipal electric plant came be-
fore them they didn't need any watch
ing by the electric company, as it
seems 1t was foregone conclusion
how it would decide that matter, and
the electric company had special cars
waiting to take them home after this
meeting. Many persons didn't know
this, but it is a fact.
More whitewash, please Also some
chloride Of lime needed here. OF
course, there are some in the city
government that people believe to be
strictly honest In every way, but their
friends certainly elected them to posi-
| tons where they would have very
doubtful company. All Of the most
progressive states have laws COMPEL
ing all vehicles, using the streets Of
cities or roads in the state, to have
at least one light after dark, and an
effort has been made to pass a sim
| liar law for this city. but 1t has al
ways been defeated because there were
too many members of the city coun-
ell who had delivery and other wagons
of their own and kerosene costs 10c
per gallon.
heard that the council had recently