The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-07-17
COMP pTRULLER KNOTT
VISITS PALATKA
GubernatOrlaI Candidate Re-
calls lime lie Sc1VtQ as
DtpuLy CICIh.

Hon. W. V. Knott, comptroller of
the state of FloriQa, ana possibly the
most popular official of the entire
state, arrived in the city Wednesday
evening over the A. C. L. from Or
lando and spent the night at the Sar-
atoga Hotel.
his bsiness here was to see Mr..
Bullard III relation to county tax as
sessments, but Mr. Knott had some
time which he devoted to walking
about after supper asd looking over
the business portion OF Palatka. He
saw much to recall experiences he
had in this city as Deputy Clerk of
the Circuit Court undeE W. C. Har-
grove in 1883, at the close of which
year, owing to the change of adminis-
tration in the office, Mr.. Knott went
to South Florida.
Mr.. Knott tells many amusing tales
of his experience here as a young
man, especially as clerk of the board
of county commissioners, of which the
member from Banaervile was chair
man, and when Granville Priest was
the member from the first district. 1t
was at Mr.. Knott's suggestion that
some system was inaugurated for
keeping the minutes of the meetings
and the documents, and he so won the
commissioners that they urged him
to accept deputyship under the new
republican clerk, Frank Wright,
stating that unless Wright would
agree to appoint him, they (the COM
missioners) would not approve his
(Wright's) bond. But Mr. Knott had
made other arrangements and would
not consider the offer
Mr.. Knott greatly regretted that
he could not have met more of his old
friends, but as he was obliged to leave
on the early morning train and the
hour wt.s late ne nad to be satisfied
with seeing only those of them he
CHANGED to meet on the street. Among
these were G. Loper Bailey, Henry
Hutchinson, A. Usina, G. F. Bullard
and a few others who had personal
recollections of his brief career here
in the early days, besides number
. of young men like Joe Price, Fred
Cochrane and others whose fathers he
knew well.
Mr.. Knott stated that he expects
to come to Palatka in short time
for couple of days when he expects
to get a lot of pleasure in meeting
old friends and talking of the Palatka
he knew back in the sos.
The comptroller is still young
ENTHUSIASTICALLY under the half
century mark, and looking much
younger. He has already announced
that he will be candidate for Gov
ernor of Florida to succeed Gov.
Trammell and his candidacy is meet
ing with a most enthusiastic recep-
ton at the hands of the press and
people of the state. Here in Palatka
. and Putnam county he is an undoubt-
/ ed favorite.
Mr.. Knott assured the News that
the valuations on railroad property
= for the purposes of taxation in the
state had been increased over
$3,6O0,0OO this year.
He also stated that it was likely
that the state millage would be re-
duced from 1-2 mills, levied last
year, to five mills, though of course
no definite statement could be made
q, until after all the county assessors
, had made reports of their work in the
counties There had been some COM
plant regarding railroad valuations
; in Orange county and Mr.. Knott had
been to Orlando where the matter had
been explained to the entire satisfac
ton of the Orlando-R Reporter Sta",
the paper which had criticized the
state assessors.
, 1t seems that last year Orange
, county comprised all that territory
now embraced in the counties of Or
ange and Seminole. The railway
! terminals and shops are at Sanford
: in the new county of Seminole. Last
year this shop and terminal property
: was distributed in mileage all along
= the railroad through Orange county.
Now this property is all on the rail-
!, way line in Seminole county, and Or
), ; ange county which last year received
+ benefit from the shop and terminaI
y valuations at Sanford, is cut out of
q these values this year.
y, So we'll satisfied was J. Hugh Reese
:. editor of the Orlando Reporter Star,
"a with Mr.. Knott's explanation, that he
o. stated editorially on Monday:
q "No person who knows Comptroller
10 Knott thoroughly could suspect him
a. of wilfullv neglecting his duty or do
). ing anything but that which he be-
10 lieved to be right.
~ "a few DAYS ago the Reuorter-Star
: contained an article relating to the
80 assessment of railroad property in
IF lOrange county SuONllE d ISuuN'iO't
ns from last wear In view of the agree
no no ment to increase assessments all
I'd kround it appeared that the board
Of having the assessment of railroad
w w property had taken ADVANTAGE of the
~ situation to lower the valuations.
"a "The Reporter-Star was justified in
ad rs assumption for the figures for
" Orange county did show a decrease
Dv rror the face of them, but Comp
bse troller Knott has come in person to
liz ovrlain how this happened. The
- COMPTROLLER claims that the railroad
~ property has been assessed for the
~ State as a whole at an increased
er, figure of approximately ten per cent;
I'd I'd "Mr. Knott has done the frank and
81 manly thing in coming straight to the
o. source of the criticism and has stat
an ed his case in such way as to leave
ad a no doubt as to his sincerity and de-
ss @ votion to duty. The country. would
,;S be much better off if all public Off
o. o. cials were as Conscientious as Flori-
he ka's Comptroller"