The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-11-04
operate for the public welfare.
The City Commissioners.

operate for the public welfare.
The City Commissioners.
We find that the commissioners
have made practice of violating the
positive provisions Of the city charter,
and ignoring the plain provisions of
the city ordinances whenever they
have desired to favor an individual
who wanted something that the law
did not authorize.
From the conduct Of the city's
business one would infer that the
primary object of the commits
sioners is to build up political
machine to further their political
aspirations. If these bauses are
persisted in nothing short of a
political revolution will destroy
the political machine now in the
making.
Although the city has gotten be
hind in its finances under the adj
ministration Of the present incum-
bents, they have with lavish hand
dissipated the city's revenues and
produced situation where the city
has been unable to pay its electric
lighting bills since May, although
more than 100000 is past due.
While it is more blessed to give
than it is to receive, this has ref
erence to the giving of ones own
funds, and not the money of the
tax payers.
Large sums have been taken from
the city's revenue by the remission
of fines, more than thirteen hundred
Isl 100000 dollars has been, RENTED
by the present commissioners; large
sum has been lost to the city by the
failure of the commissioners to OBJ
serve the provisions of law requiring
all persons to pay penalty of fifty
per cent who neglected to pay. their
license tax during the month of Oc-
tober of each year. The commission
ers have required some persons to
pay this penalty, but have relieved
others from this burden. This was
notably true in the instance of N.
Goldring who, on October 31st, 1914,
applied for and was issued five or
six licenses for the conduct of sa-
looms. He was permitted to pay for
these licenses in installments extnd-
ing through the months Of November
and December, and was relieved of
tn penalty, and the city lost twenty
five hundred ($2,5o0.00) dollars.
Some money has been lost to the
| city by the commissioners RENTING
the penalty Of ten per cent to per-
sons who had neglected to pay Their
ad valorem or property tax within
the time provided by law.
Some people we're required to
| pay this penalty, and it was re-
mitted to others. Here Goldring
was again favored. The amount
of money taken from the city
treasury for the support of indi-
viduals, and designated on the
city books as "the care and trans
|, portation of paupers," is a consid-
cradle item.
| In the last ten months twenty-eighi
hundred t$2,SOO.00) dollars of the
city's funds has been spent for eek.
ira" street and sewer workers. Thi;
is in addition to the regular force
employed in the street department
and paid out of the funds set aside
for this purpose. The extra mer
have been paid out of the genera
fund.
The commissioners have drawn
their salaries in advance in viola
ton of the city charter, and in
one instance Commissioner Pou
has drawn from the city revenues
more money than was due him.
They have granted permits author
izing repairs to buildings in the fir
limits in violation of city ordinances
and after the building inspector ha.
refused to authorize such repairs.
Commissioner Pou has granted po
lice power a2AeeaYlA ority to carry I
conceated we kpon more than tw'
hundred indivtdl,ss some of whom
are convicted felons, and at least ont
is a negro. 1t is impossible to tel
who has police authority and a pis
tol concealed on his person. Commits
sioner Pou has also INDUCED tn,
practice of guaranteeing payment O
| fines of large number of person.
| fined by the city recorder for infrac
| tons of city ordinances.
i In some instances he has paid thes
fines when the parties themselve
have failed to do so, but in the larg
j number of instances the city marsha
has been compelled to appeal to tn
board of city commissioners to re
lleve him from the fines guarantee,
J by Commissioner Pou, and not pal.
by the parties themselves nor by tn
commissioner, and the city has los
this revenue.
| Commissioner Pou has also indulg
| ed in the bad practice of taking tn
| city's automobile, driven by the reg
ular patrol driver, and going on fish
| ing and hunting trips, as well as tax
ing his family out for drives. Thi
is wrong on principles, and a publ
Lee I'll 4 l.