The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-09-11
AN EXCELLENT IDEA

A number of our public-spirited
business men are at work on plan
that if properly carried out will re-
lieve immediate need in a large ele-
ment OF our working class. improve
our roads at once and give our far
mers necessary help next season.
1t is an old and true saying that it
never rains hut it pours, so it is not
wonderful that the troubles brought
upon US by the war should follow a
short crop and the hardest season on
Florida farmers for many years, not
to speak of the state sharing in the
general depression caused by polit
zeal and economic uncertainty since
1912. When we add to this that
Florida is so situated among the
states of the Union that war troubles
hit her first, and the revival of bust
ness will probably come to her last,
the wonder is not that we are now
so worried that we are doing So
we'll
The war has hard hit our two
greatest industries phosphate and
naval stores. The lumber industry
also will feel it, and cotton is for the
present out of business, tho tfat will
not effect this part of the state very
much The first three named, how
ever, have employed thousands of
men, most. of them negroes, who are
now out of work.
Most of these negroes are honest
and Woodworking men. The state
can't allow them to starve, neither is
it able to feed and keep them in idle
ness.
The plan proposed is for our
county commissioners to set an ex-
ample to the rest of the state by Civ
! ing these men work on the public
roads That road improvement is
greatly needed, everybody knows. By
setting to work on them now, on this
plan, double purpose can be served
their Improvement and employ
ment at living wages for large pro-
portion of our working population,
The county cannot afford to pay
these men more than diving wages.
In fact, it cannot afford to Day them
any real money now. But it can is
sue scrip, and by the cooperation OF
the business men aforesaid, pay of
the deot in time.
: Leading among these business meI
is MIR. walter Ray of Martel, perhaps
) the largest employer o. colored labo'
: IN the county. Mr. Ray says he viii
: take $50 900 worth of scrip AM
give the county reasonable time t.
pay for it. Mr.. Ben Rheinauer o
: Ocala will also take a considerabl
d amount, and there are other men a.
$ over the county who will take wha
( they can; and by all helping we ca
1 weather the storm and do lastin
good.
e Another thing should be consider
I ed: Next year, with good season
d Florida will have large crops. Their
-e will be a greater acreage plante
II than usually, partly in anticipate
of European demand, but principal
for our own people. For years, on
u farmers have not been able to emplt
E. much negro labor. The negro cou
s. obtain much larger wages in ii
IS, mines, turpentine farms and sa'
Il mills than the farmer could pay.
ed is likely that it will be different ne
ut year, and maybe for several veal
es. The people in Europe are burning
or several million dollars a day in gu
as powder alone, and when the war
sse over it will be a long time befo
to they have much money to buy al
elf thing with. What they have viii
vas for bread and meat first, and ia.
I'D products will be at a premium.
NE farmers will be able to employ LAT
ng- better than the phosphate and ma
US, stores men for some time. b
the these industries will revive as sc
Ler- as the war is over, but it will
hey years before they are able to !
high wages again. But Marion CO.
ty farmers will be able to give liv
of wages to hundreds OF men next ye
xlin The Star suggests that the Oh;
our man of the board of county comm
in sioners call a special meeting