The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-02-07
SHOULD WIPE OFF HIS SPECS

the purchase by the city of the Dis
mukes lot because the Banner made
a scoop, the Banner is measuring the
Stars corn in its own half bushel
If the Star ever makes a scoop as
full Of inaccuracies as the Banners
| article Of last Thursday morning. ii
will apologize for it in its next issue
In saying that the Star opposes
the purchase Of the lot, the Banner
is just as careless as in its other
statements. The Star hasn't oppos-
ed the purchase of the lot.
The Banner said the city had
bought the lot.
The city hasn's bought the lot.
The Banner said the Marion
Hardware Co. would buy the old lot
The president of the Marion
| Hardware Co.. who we presume
knows the affairs of his firm better
than the Banner, says that his firm
had made no such an agreement
| The Banner gave everybody rea-
son to infer that the mayor had a
deed to the lot in his pocket The
! Banner may be misrepresenting the
mayor as much as it does the Star,
but it ought to know the mayor
can't buy and sell city lots, and
would be arrested if he went into
any such a transaction. The mayor
| nd
those who ascribe to him autocratic
powers are not doing him any favor.
| The mayor may have an option
on the property. He and the Ban
ner have carefully refrained from
telling the public what the price of
the lot is. The president of the
council informed the Star that the
price is. $4,000. Now is anybody
fool enough to suppose that the may
or of Ocala has any right to fork
over $4,000 of the peoples money
without their consent
The Banner has given a great
many people the impression that the
mayor has bought the lot himself
and is trying to unload on the city
at profit This, we believe. is un-
just to the mayor, but the line OF
stuff that the Banner has been hand
ing out would give just that i'm
preston.
Why wasn't the price of the LOT
given with the other "exclusive'' in
formation? AS far as it's exclusive
ness was concerned, the Star has
been wise to it for days, but was
asked not to say anything about il
until the right time. The Star is
not the personal organ of the mayor
so it is no wonder that the Banner
scored its scoop, such as it is. Il
the. mayor will give the Star some
information, it will print it in sucf
shape that the people Of the city
won't think he is usurping right:
that don't belong to him.
As for our good-natured and pub
lic-spirited friend, Charlie Hunter
he certainly didn't request the Ban
the lot. He is not. so inaccurate.
Mr.. Hunter gave the Banner hi
permission, not his request, to pub
Ish that the city was trying to blu.
the lot. Mr.. Hunter told the Sta
that what the Banner printed wa
somewhat different from what h
expected it to print. He says tn
next time he gives a paper permits
sion to print, he will try and fint
out just what it is going to print be
forehand.
The Stars position on buying tn
Dismukes lot is set forth elsewhere
in an article written last night, be
fore the Banner was issued.
Editor Harris of the Banner is
very public-spirited old gentleman
and one whom the Star honors 70
his personal character as we'll as hi
talents and obvious desire to help il
every good work. He has Away
made the mistake, however, of think
ing that when the Star disagree
/ with him on any public question tina
: it does from some unworthy motive
. The Star does not do him any sucI
r injustice.
AS the Star aforesaid, the Dis
mukes lot will cost So, 500. TIL
: city has not the money in hand Tn
president of the city council told tn
Star that the council did not knoy
= how much cash the city has, an
= won't know till the auditors report
/ are made The Star knows that tn
= city has never had s12.500 to spar
since it was a city To put up tn