The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-07-14
BONDS OR NO BONDS
Mr.. Haycraft Says that Marion Coun-
ty People Have Not
the Money

the utOttCy
Editor Star: In a recent issue of
the Star you stated that nine feet was
too narrow a roadbed for two vehicles
to pass each other. Correct you are.
The standard tread is feet inches
for vehicle, wheelbase, to say moth
ing for the extension of hubs. There
was something said about "heavy tax
ation.n It has suddenly occurred to
some of you that everything was not
lovely and the goose was not hanging
high. Perhaps the old bird is losing
her honk. 1t seems like some of the
@boys" have been dropping spikes IN
| the bonding machine. Well, boys,
throw them in and if you are out of
spikes just pass the word down the
line and we will look around in the
woods out here and find an old rail
left by a logroad and we will throw it
| in and strip several cogs off the ma
chimes wheel.
In spite of the fact that times are
hard and Marion county is heavily in
debt there seems to be disposition on
the part of some to have the county
bonded for half to a million dollars
for hard roads. No advocate of the
bond issue has given good, valid
reason for bonding the county and
what real benefit the masses of the
people will receive from it. They cite
the fact that Polk county has been
bonded for one and half million dol
lars. Well, the people of Polk county
have put themselves in bondage. Do
we have to put ourselves in bondage
just because the people of Polk county
did? A million and half dollars is a
large debt for a state to contract, let
alone a county doing such a thing.
A wealthy and well known citizen
of Marion made these remarks to me
last spring: lizard roads are expen-
sive. The state will soon own all the
lands. You cannot sell twenty-five
bushels Of potatoes in Ocala."
The above citizen is very large
land owner and is no calamity bowler,
but is rather optimistic in his views.
When the controversy about forming
a new county was at it's height, advo-
Gates for the new county claimed that
Marion county would be heavily bond
ed. Is not their prophecy about to
come true? The only reason it does
not come true, is by the people voting
Lit down. The opposition claimed, on
account of a small railroad mileage
in the proposed new county, that the
brunt of taxation would fall heavily
upon the farmer. Has any bond adj
vocate said anything about the taxes
on the farmer in case of the bond is
sue? No; they have been as silent as
oysters about the matter.
What are these asphalt roads to be
built for? Not for the farmers to haul
their produce to Ocala on, for Ocala
has little or no market for farm pro-
duce. A party at fourth of July pic
mic this year made the remark that
asphalt pavement in the northern
cities lasted ten years." That being
the case, Marion county would prob
ably have about one-half of the bond
ed indebtedness paid and a lot of
broken up asphalt roads on its hands
that would not be fit to travel upon at
the end of the ten years.
Farmers last year sold corn in
ocala at so to 81 cents per bushel,
while the ST. Louis market reports
were from SO to 72 cents per bushel
for white corn. After the Marion
county farmers sold their corn for
over twenty per cent less than the st.
Louis market prices, they found upon
going to pay their 1915 taxes that
taxes were over 20 per cent higher
than they were in 1914. We farmers
found that we were in hole, and are
not at all anxious to get in a hole
again.
Asphalt roads will not bring a good
market for farm products, but a good
market will bring good roads. None
of US are stuck on asphalt roads if
they do not last any longer than ten
years. The bond issue is unjust to
the farmers of Marion county, as they
have not the market in which to sell
their products to obtain the money to
meet their obligations to state and
county. I believe in the old saying,
"Live and let live" Cannot see what
great benefit that the people would
receive from such large bonded in
debtedness. Am not from Missouri,
but will have to be shown just the
same. Respectfully,