The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-12-06
THE FRANCHISE OF
THE GAS COMPANY

Editor Star: Under the heading
"a Question of Real Interest" in your
issue of December 4th, you ask this
question: "What sort of franchise
are you going to vote to give the Gas
Company when its present franchise
runs QUIT" You also state farther
along in this article: "The franchise
of the Gas Company runs out next
year, and the people who own it nat
urally want better one"
/ regret to note that you are not, at
all we'll informed on the affairs of the
city, and had you taken the time you
spent in propounding this question to
the candidates to have ascertained tbs
facts, you would readily have found
on page 142 of the compilation of the
City, Ordinances, compiled May 18th
1910, that the Gas Company's charter
does not expire until the 9Th day OF
June, 1929. Therefore, the question
you PROFOUND is very extraordinary
one from the standpoint of newspa-
per who ought to be careful in its as
sertion of facts.
The Gas Company and the franchise
granted to it is owned by persons liv.
ing in Camden, New Jersey, and there
is not a dollar of stock held by any
one living in the state of Florida.
These parties purchased the Gas
Company stock two years ago and
have been operating it ever since, and
the question of a franchise or the
granting of new franchise is so fan
in the future that it would seem idle
to enter upon such discussion.
was attorney for the Ocala Gas
Company who held the franchise up
to the time of sale and am attorney
for the Florida Utilities Company,
which now owns the Gas Company
and it's franchise in Ocala, and / think
/ am fully prepared to speak upon
this subject.
1t has also been rumored and | be-
lieve positively stated on the streets
land quite probably you have heard
this street talk, and based your ar
ticle on it) that Mr.. r. S. Hall is at
tempting to control the next council
so as to get new or better franchise
for the Gas Company. / am entirely
familiar with Mr.. Halls connection
with the Company, as have been his
personal attorney for number of
years, and / know that he has abso-
lutely no interest in any way in the
Company, has no desire to obtain an
other franchise or interfere with it in
any possible manner; and / know that
the present Company is not seeking
and will not seek either at the hands
of the people or the council any fran
chise, or change in the present fran
chise. Messrs. Hall and Hunter have
long since had their money out of the
proposition, so that the question as
to what the incoming council will do
with respect to the granting of new
or better franchise has no place in the
present campaign.
Again, if you will refer to Section
Is of Chapter 1916, laws of 1917,
commonly known as the "New Char
ter" page 885 of the Special Acts of
the last Legislature, you will find that
it is provided that no franchise what
soever shall be granted sunless the
granting of such franchise shall have
been approved by vote of a major
ity of the registered voters of said
city possessing the qualifications as
those herein fixed for voters in bond
elections"
Therefore it is clearly apparent that
hte City Council could not grant
franchise should it desire to do so, un-
til a majority of the registered voters
holding property in the City should
vote in its favor.
So, respectfully submit that you
have failed to investigate matters as
you should have done before pro-
pounding such inquiries.
/ regret that ! am compelled to an
wer your article upon this question,