The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-01-09
Z !: aaII IT CHURCH
Mr.. Curry en- tl.IuIuHks
Editor Palatka News:

ed him, only replied to him; and if
ne had stated in his first letter what
lie has in his last, / would have tried
\ TO set him right at first. | don't
know where he got his information,
but it is all wrong, entirely wrong.
There was no collision between the
county commissioners and the Johnny
j. Jones shows whatever, and no such
understanding as that "the county
would be reimbursed, if the pro
ceeds warranted it," and it is not in
accordance with facts that ''they
generously refunded $4,000 and
sailed away with the other S25000:
Johnny j. Jones did not get one cent
of the $4,000. On the contrary By
special agreement with the Putnam
County Fair Association, they paid
percentage of all receipts, which
amounted to more than $4,000, for
the benefit of the Putnam County Fair.
The Fair Association had no means
| OF collecting one cent from exhibitor
or visitor. Everything was free, and
under the conditions had to be so. Now
how much of crowd would the Put
nam County Fair Association had, if
it had not been for the attraction. 1t
IS true the Johnny j. Jones shows paid
no license-the city very generously,
in consideration of the circumstances
refunding the amount of city license
collected, but can anyone argue that
because the license was not paid, that
Putnam county or Palatka lost any,
thing? If the county and city license
had had to be paid the Johnny J.
Jones shows would never have come |
to Putnam county, and of course there
would have been no license in that |
case. So what has the county and |
city lost?
They have had very successful
initial fair, at an expense approx
mately of $4,000 to the taxpayers Of
Putnam county and Palatka, and the
fair actually cost over 100000. Now
n view of what we hope to realize
from the next fair and other fairs
along cooperative lines, it does not /
seem to me the cost has been too
great.
81. F." or any other taxpayer has a
perfect right to criticise the official
acts of their board of county commits
sioners, but deny their right to do
50 from partisan or sectional and
point, and all ask in the fy re is
that ~. F." and all others inform
themselves as to the true stat Of
heir board on public auctions GcGore
'denouncing"
| wish to assure 81. F." that have
very sincere respect for his views
rs citizen, taxpayer and booster for
ais county, but none whatever for him
IS republican, democrat, socialist
or prohibitionist critic, and | willGake
pleasure in informing him or any 9th.
er taxpayer, just what the %5ard haS
lone or intends to do on any public
question, if in my power to do so.
Now what about the next Fair?
Will not 81. F." head the list for
twenty, thirty or fifty shares of stock,
at $1,000 per share, in the Tri- County
Fair association, with annual neet-
ings at Palatka, by the counties of
Putnam, st. Johns and Clay?
These subscription lists for stock
will be sent out as soon as possible to
each precinct in the three counties.
A meeting of the subscribers for this
stock to he held in Palatka, March IA,
when the organization necessary to a
permanent Fair Association can be
created
There is no doubt this organiza-
zion can manage so as to pay good div
idends on the stock, if our best men
will subscribe and come into the or
ganization, and certainly there should
oe no loss, for the money should be
spent for actual values.
Now business men of Palatka and
Putnam County, what are you gong /
to do about it? It's up to you. Shall H
Palatka and Putnam County, where
you have lived and made your fortune
or the beginning of it at least, be the
place last and least considered by you K
in investing for the future? Why II
will you invest in Jacksonville, Tam
pa or Anastasia Beach, when Just a
little cooperative work upon your
part would make Palatka and Putnam
County just as good points for invest
ment as those places?
No public movement for the bene-
fit of the public can succeed without
public cooperation and especially on
the part of the prominent business
men of the community, and it is not
enough that they contribute few dol
lars, and rarely, if ever attend a
They have got to come in
and give the movement their individ-
ual personal boost.
Next in Importance to the Tri-
County Fair Association permanently
on a good financial basis,
is the establishment of an agricul-
tural bureau, with headquarters in
Palatka. l have been informed that
the government will contribute $675.-
90 to any county in the State to pay
an agricultural expert. If this is SO,
the three counties would be entitled
to $2,025.00. The three counties could
give as much more. With this amount
an agricultural bureau could be es-
tablished for the three counties, with
special reference to the producing and
marketing of all agricultural products
of the three counties.
Take for instance the marketing end
of this proposition, and see how @nuch
benefit a bureau would be to this
section.
1st-Every farmer would be fur
nished with a list Of the reliable CONS
merchants in the different
markets.
2nd-Every farmer could get re-