The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-05-29
AN UNJUST CRITICISM

IL is, therefore, moved TO say tnaL
in it's judgment the criticism direct
ed against Mr.. Chas. w. Hunter,
president of the city council, because
he is manager of the Ocala Gas
company, is unjust and untenable.
If it were something unusual for
a member of the gas company to be
; member of the council, then, of
, course, the criticism, If not justifiable
would at least be excusable, but the
records will show that it is nothing
unusual for a member of the gas
company to be a member of the city
government.
The records show the following:
While mayor of the city Judge
Bullock was a director in the gas
company The fact that he was a
director in that company never came
into question.
While sitting as a member of the
city council Mr.. D. E. McIver was
director of the gas company.
1t was never questioned as being
improper.
While member of the city council,
we believe it's president, Mr.. D. w.
Davis was secretary and director of
the gas company. 1t created no criti-
cism.
While acting as president of the
city council Mr.. George MacKay was
also president of the gas company.
It's improperly was never once
mooted.
To now criticise a member of the
city council simply because he is a
member of the gas company, it seems
to us, is untenable from the records
and comes as belated utterance, and
there must be some Interior motive
back of it.
If, however, Mr.. Hunter has used
his official position to grant any
special privilege to the gas company,
then and in that event, the criticism
is proper.
But the records show that he has
done the very reverse of this.
The Times4Union, only a few days
ago, gave an account on its front
page in which the statement was
made that Jacksonville was furnish
ing the cheapest electric service for
cooking purposes of any city in the
United States i. e. 2 cents per k. W.
The Times-Union then went on to
say that the next city approaching it
was Kansas City which was furnish
ing electric current for cooking pur
poses for cents per k. W.
Mr.. E. c. Bennett, member of the
council, called our attention to the
article and made the statement that
Ocala was supplying her citizens with
the same electric service
for cooking purposes notwithstanding
the fact that the president of the
city council was manager of the
gas company and he thought that he
was deserving of some commenda-
ton.
We understand that Mr.. Hunter as
well as Mr.. R. S. Hall, president of
the Ocala Gas company, are perfectly
willing for the Camps or for Mr.. Mef-
fert, or Mr.. Taylor, or any one else
to come in and furnish electric SER
vice to the city for the lowest possible
price.
They seem to be built on broad
gauge lines and go upon the principle
that their prosperity as members of
the gas company lies in the pathway
of Ocala becoming a great and grow
ing city
If allowed to stand still or go back
wards by hostile criticism and war
ring factions the profits from the
gas company will be nil.
The city council is doing faithful
work to put Ocala in line of progress
it is not trying to help one industry
at the expense of another-it is try
ing to build up all and pull down
none.
In order to equalize the taxes and
to make every citizen pay his pro-
portionate share-no more or no less
the council went outside of its
ranks to secure the services of i'm
partial and we'll informed men in the
matter of personal and real estate
values to assist them.
The gentlemen composing the
city council are working without pay
and have nothing at stake but the
city's welfare.
We think that they are justly en-
titled to a need of praise. They GER
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