The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-10-23
"THE PUNCHED BOND oRDL
NANCE'

the better cause it is the distinguish
ed gentleman.
So we take it that the very strong
est reasons that can be put forth
against the bond issue are set forth
by him in the article printed else
where, addressed to the "Self-Think-
ing Voters of Ocala," under the title
of "The punched Bond Ordinance
We shall undertake to analyze and
dissect sereatum the reasons set forth
by Mr.. Burford as concisely as posi-
BILE.
Mr.. Burford's first and principal OBJ
| lection seems to be because the bond
issue is punched"
We believe that it was Benjamin
Franklin, in addressing his distln-
guished fellow-patriots who said:
1--WE may as we'll hang together as to
hang separately"
Perhaps the council acted upon the
same initiative. Nine out of every ten
voters who are opposed to bonds are
opposed to them whether they are
given to him in alapathic or homeo-
pathic doses.
We shall undertake to let Mr.. Bur-
ford answer his first and chief objec-
ton in his own words and under the
spell of his own reasoning.
The bonds for sewerage is the
weakest link in the whole chain.
There are more prominent, intelligent
voters opposed to a change in our
sewerage system than for any other
purpose for which bonds are supposed
to be issued.
Now let us suppose that the bonds
had not been punched" and the
bonds for sewerage were lost, and the
bonds for street paving were carried,
what would be the result?
We will use Mr.. Burford's own rea-
soning in answer to the proposition.
Mr.. Burford says:
Sewerage. This is an important
matter, and it occurs to me should be
settled in advance of some other con-
templated improvements. If streets
are paved before pipes are laid, water
mains extended and sewers construct
ed, then great additional expense
would be necessarily incurred in tear
ing up the paved streets, and the ma
terial could never be replaced in as
good condition as before"
1t was for that very reason the
bonds were punched"
Mr.. Burford's next great objection
is because he is opposed to munich
pal ownership" except of public util-
ities," and he does not regard ice as
a public utility.
Government and municipal owner
ship is growing and is taking greater
and greater hold upon the public con-
science.
There was time when public high
ways and bridges were built by pri-
vate enterprise and were kept up by
tolls more or less exorbitant.
1t is not so any more.
There was time whom the gov
eminent did not exercise supervision
over our banks That time has pass
ed.
It has only been little while since
it has established the parcels post,
but the system has taken such hold
upon the public conscience that there
are but few who do not acknowledge
it's great benefits to the masses, and
it is safe to assert that the system
will never be abolished.
In some municipalities, even in
Florida, ice plants are regarded as
public utilities and are being operat-
ed by the municipalities with like ben
efits as have been conferred by the
parcels post
| There was a time, even in Ocala
when the electric light plant and wa
| ter plant were operated by private en-
terprise-but those times are past and
gone.
More and more this is getting to be
a government of the people, by the
people, and for the people"
But if Mr.. Burford had attended
the sessions of the city council he
would have ascertained that the ice
plant is more of a "bug-a-boo'' tC
brighten the timid voters than any
thing else.
Competent engineers have estimat
ed that for the enlarging and equip
ping of the water plant it will require
the sum of $4,000. The ordinance
was first framed with that sum fol
that purpose, and incorporating the
ice plant was an after consideration
1t was done not only to conciliate the