The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-11-27
OLD TROUBLE AGAIN
Sawed-Off SoIon Light is After the
County Commissioners with
Sharp Stick

To Governor Trammell. to Judge
Bullock, to the December grand
jury, TO the county commissioners,
to the tax payers Of Marion county:
| respectfully call your attention
TO chapter 6425, 1913 laws of Flor
ida, which in substance is as fol-
lows: The clerk of the court of each
county each first of january and
July of each year, on forms supplied
by the comptroller of the state, shall
make out a complete list of all re-
ceipts and disbursements Of the
county commissioners, for the last
six months. The county commits
sioners under each shall certify to
the correctness Of the clerks state
ment. The clerk of the court shall
furnish the comptroller with copy
of the report. The comptroller shall
publish such in a county newspaper
in the county, etc. The penalty for
a failure Of the clerk or the court
Or the county commissioners to
comply with the provisions of this
bill is as follows: To be subject to
a prison fine of no more than II
months, or a cash fine of no more
than $4,000 or both, and removal
from Office by the governor.
Our clerk OF the court has made
a tho forms S1nn1io5
him by the comptroller AMI he in
formed me the county commission
ers have paid him $500 for his SER
vices in making out the report.
The published proceedings of their
August meeting acknowledge OF ap-
proving of said report.
In the same published proceed
ings the county commissioners no.
tify our county newspapers that
they will refuse TO pay cost OF pub
fishing this report by the state
comptroller, giving as their reasons
they being advised that the bill is
unconstitutional, too costly TO pub
lish and Of no visible good, there
fore, the report has net been pub
lished The intention Of the bill de
feated, the people denied the privi-
lege OF knowing how our officials
have been spending our taxes.
therefore charge our county com
missioners with failure to comply
with and prevented compliance with
this law.
Neither the supreme court OF this
state, Judgs Bullock, nor Judge
Smith had ruled on this bill wher
the county commissioners stated
they were advised as to this bill be
ing unconstitutional. Therefore
they were not properly advised.
If the county commissioners trul!
believed this law was unconstitution
al, why did they approve of the re
port made out by the clerk and pa,
him $500 if they truly thought i
was not proper?
THIS bill does not delegate to tn
county commissioners the privileg
of saying the law is illegal or not
nor the right to say they will pay 70
publishing the report or not.
As a citizen and tax payer of Mar
ion county l herewith give my rea
sons why l insist on the proper OF
fcials to COMPEL our county com
missioners to comply with this stat
ute. l want to know how much ou
county is in debt? How much on
county commissioners have borrow
ed in the last silk months? If an
borrowed, has it been borrowed Il
gal1y? How much available cash o
hand and collected July 1st, last
What interest they are payin:
What fees, etc, our officials are ge
ting and how our road taxes al
spent and distributed?
l also call the attention OF Judg
Bullock. Solicitor Schofeld, the ne,
grand jury and the tax payers Of I'll
county to the following:
In the very beginning of this yea
a move began to extend the limi