The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-12-17
MAYOR BONDEN CALLS
MAYORS CONVENTION
To Meet in jacksonville to
Consider Hobo Menace.

Importance 10 Drlng OUT call fOr {
convention in Jacksonville. The peo
pie there seem to lay awake o nights
trying to think up an excuse for call
ing convention. You see, they have
a lot of hotels in Jacksonville anc
business has been dull, and they neet
guests at so much per.
That recent newspaper convention
was case in point. There is a short.
age of newspaper men in Florida com.
pared with the hotel rooms, so the call
was made to embrace Florida, Geor-
gia, Alabama, South Carolina anG
Fort Lauderdale. George Matthews
represented the last named territory
and some fifteen editors and publish.
ers and lot of pressmen and job
Printers made up the balance. They
discussed the Davis Law and cussed it
took an automobile ride, a boat ride
went to the ostrich farm and the mov-
les, and then banqueted at the board
of trade.
Next, there was called a convention
to organize highway association to
route hard road from Jacksonville
to Tampa. This was "discovered'-
after The News had pointed it QUITO
have been a mistake. Three monster
conventions had already been held in
the interior of the State and the road
routed, all, while Jacksonville boost
ers were dreaming. When the mis-
take was discovered this convention
was called off.
Now Mayor Bowden wants con.
vention. There isn't enough mayors
in Florida to make a profitable crowd,
so his honor has included the mayors
of Georgia, North and South Caro-
lima, Alabama, Mississippi and Loui-
siana. He ought to get few of them
when they read his letter.
Of course it is only problematical
what the mayors of North and South
Carolina will do over this Davis meth
cd of liquidation, but it is said that
there is boosters club in Jacksonville
devoted to the policy of shortening
the intervals between "smiles" and
that the smiling will be serene and
frequent enough to suit all parties.
But the convention; here is a copy
of the call as addressed to the may
ors of cities in the States named:
Jacksonville, Fla, December 6, 1915.
Hon. Mayor
My attention has been called so
vividly to the evil practice of different
communities in sending travelling,
begging paupers from one City to an
other, and that about nine times out
of ten these paupers become a bur-
den upon the community to which they
have been sent, particularly during
the winter season. The South as a rule
is flooded with this class of people,
and | feel that the authorities should
put a stop to this practice.
There is hardly a day passes but
what someone comes to my office ask
ing that l give them transportation,
usually south of this City in the fall,
and in the spring the travel is north
ward. Now, l am asking if you will
cooperate with me in trying to put
stop, so far as possible, to the prac-
tice of sending from one City to the
other these paupers. know that |
you have come in contact with this |
evil and understand it thoroughly, and
you must be in sympathy with this
suggestion.
1t is my purpose to call convention
of the Mayors of the towns and cities
of this State, Georgia, North and
South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi
and Louisiana to meet in this City on
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday,
January 18th, 18th Goth, 1916, with a
view of comforting and agreeing upon
some method by which this evil can
be eliminated or at least minimized.
If you can not attend personally, will
you send some one to represent your
City? Please advise me, and consid-
er this as an invitation and an earnest
request that you attend this convention
because | believe it will not only be
4 benefit to the South but to the en-
ire country.
| know of no greater evil than this
and | can not see any good to be de-
lived by encouraging pauperism,
which is being done; and the dispo-
'ition on the part of those in authori- 4,
y in encouraging these paupers to !
ramp from one community to another =
living on the bounties of that COM ;
nunity. | ask that you consider well !
his letter and earnestly request that .
-ou notify me as to whether or not
ou will co-operate-I would further :
SIX that you cause this letter to be o
'rinted in your local paper, or the c
ubstance thereof in order to notify
owns and cities that l may have over o
ooked in sending out this invitation, t,
nd it is desired that such cities will Il
lso cooperate and consider that they il
ave been invited, as well, because it Fl
; my intention and earnest desire to v
ave the cooperation of all communi- n
les that can be reached and that have a
cen suffering from this evil. d
Jacksonville, particularly, has suf- tt
cred many many thousand dollars Is
ach year and l am told that other a
tiles have passed ordinances return
lg these paupers at the expense of tt
ne city to the community from which v
hey came We have no law requi- S
ing the return of these travelling W
aupers but without such ordinance I o.
m causing their return to the City
rom which they came, unless they
an satisfy me that they will be TAX
n care of, and after a thorough in
as to whether they will or
OF, by those interested in them at
he place they wish to go. I make b