The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-10-23
ALDERMAN RoEss ON THE BOND
ISSUE
ocala, Fla, October is, 1914.

10 Inc voters OIL OCdld.
Since you will soon be called upon
to vote for or against bonds for gen.
eral improvements, / think this is the
opportune time to discuss this subject
and l would like the opportunity to
give you the benefit of whatever in
formation / have on this subject in a
series of articles of which this is the
first.
When l was president of +he Board
of Trade several years ago advocat-
ed bond issue of $300,000.00 at that
time for general public Improvements
much the same as the issue we now
have before us. At that time this
proposition met with great deal of
approval among many members of
the Board of Trade, But, even at
that time there were many who said
the time was not opportune, and, as
the majority of the members of the
Council at that time felt this way
about it, the matter was dropped. 1t
is not strange, therefore, to find me
advocating bonds for general improve
ments now.
Perhaps the best way to discuss
this subject is to consider the objec-
lions offered to the bond issue, and,
if possible, to answer them with facts
that cannot be disputed. One of the
principal objections offered is: "You
cannot sell the bonds at this time ex-
cept at a discount The time is not
opportune" This is no valid objec-
tion, because the bond ordinance pro-
vides that these bonds shall bear not
more than five per cent. interest and
cannot be sold for less than par. BY
putting this provision into the ordi-
nance the Council has safeguarded
the interests of the public. Each
and every voter can feel perfectly
safe in voting for bonds at this time
and know absolutely that the bonds
cannot be sold now or six months
from now unless the purchasers are
willing to pay one hundred cents on
the dollar for same, that is, par. You
can never find out whether the bonds
will sell for par until they are offered
for sale and it certainly will be nc. ex-
pense to offer them for sale and keep
offering them for sale month after
month until some one is willing to pay
par for them.
The Council has been assured by
several engineers who have had
great deal of experience in disposing
of bonds that it is very likely the
bonds can be sold at par very soon
after they are put on the market.
Those who state that we cannot sell
the bonds now simply express this as
their opinion. They give no facts or
figures to back up their opinion.
They are entitled to their opinion,
but, without something to back up
their opinion, their opinion is nothing
more than guess. If bonds cannot
be sold at this time why is it that so
many cities in Florida have been bond
ing this year, have voted bonds since
the European War started? Here we
have some cold facts. The following
cities have voted for bonds this year:
Dade City, Fla, $26,500.0O Water
and Sewers.
Fort Myers, Fla, 100000 Street
and Water.
Hastings. Fla, 100000 Street
and Sewer. 'eW
Lynn Haven, Fla. $25,OOOOO Pub
Improvements.
Milton, Fla, s2O,OOO.OO Water and
Sewer.
Melbourne, Fla, 100000 Light and
Water.
Miami, Fla, $25o,oOo Sewer, Streets
etc.
Orlando, Fla, s1Oo,OOO.O0 Paving.
Palmetto. Fla, $S5,O00.O0 Sewer,
Water and Street.
Port Tampa, Fla, $l7,OO0OO Public
Improvements
Wauchula, Fla. s4O,O00.OO Water,
Sewer and Street.
Pablo Beach, Fla, $25,000.0O Sewer
and Electric Lights.
Daytona Beach, Fla, $22.5O0O0 Wa
ter Works.
Tarpon Springs. Fla, $S0,O00.0O Va
rious Public Improvements.
Plant City, Fla, 100000 Water
and Street Improvements.
Del Ray, Fla, $20.OOO.OO Water and
Light.
Micanopy. Fla. 100000 Electric
Lights.
Clearwater. Fla. s75.OOoOO Public
improvements.
Al IA. st. Petersburg. Fla. s227.-