The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-08-07

Banner has certain powers which the
dictionary describes as occult" We
would be glad if we possessed such
powers ourself, but we have seen
them fail SO many other people that
we would be afraid to depend on them.
Now, as for this city manager bus
mess, all the well-posted citizens of
Ocala understand that the election of
Mr.. Caldwell was "camoufage." The
council did not intend to elect any
manager, and Mr.. Winer was more
emphatically decided against such an
election than any other member. The
mayor called the attention of the
council to the fact that under the
charter there would be trouble in col
lecting the taxes. So Mr.. Caldwell
was elected as makeshift. The
council did not want to elect a man
that could and would manage. 1t
showed its sentiment toward a man
ager by its treatment of Mr.. john
ston, who knew his business and was
manager in fact as well as name.
So. MIR. Caldwell was elected as a
makeshift-in order to render the
collection of taxes legal A suit
brought by some well-to-do and re-
calcitrant taxpayer might prove his
election illegal. He does not manage
anything except what he was man
aging before his election. The
charter plainly says that the city
manager shall make up the budget,
but the city clerk and his assistant
are making up the budget. The city
clerk, in fact, is the only thing like a
manager the city has. and while he
is abundantly competent to do the
work, it is doubtful that he has the
legal power to make up the budget.
The measure of Mr.. Caldwell's ability
as city manager is shown in his re-
port that the city plant is making
current at one and three-quarter
cents.
The attempt to make out that the
mayor is trying to persecute the
manager is an absurdity. Mr.. Chace
wants the city property carefully
taken care of. and he would be dere-
lict in his duty if he did not tell the
council and the people when he thinks
it is not being done.
Mr.. Caldwell is pretty good little
prosecutor himself. When Mr.. john
ston was elected city manager last
February (and by the way the Ban
ner gave high testimony to Mr.. John
ston's ability, Mr.. Caldwell declared
before Mr.. Johnston arrived in town
that he did not intend to allow him to
interfere at the city plant. and he
persistently made himself disagree
able to Mr.. Johnston, who finding
from the attitude of the council that
he would not be allowed to carry out
his duties, resigned in disgust and
went to take better job.
Mr.. Woods. recently night engineer
at the plant. is a competent man, and
wanted to stay here. President Nash
of the council, who knew what he
could do, wanted him to stay, and his
salary was raised to induce him to
stay, but, Mr.. Caldwell made matters
SO disagreeable for him that he quit.
And we do not think that any good
engineer from outside the city will
stay in our plant as long as Mr.. Cald-
well is superintendent.
We had not desired to print any of
these things, but the Banners at
tempts to misrepresent Mayor Chace
makes it our duty to do so.
As for the mayors report on the
condition of the plant, which it was
not only his right but his duty to
make, it appears elsewhere in the
proceedings of the council, and we re-
spectfully submit to the people if he
was not correct in doing so.
The Banner needn't hug itself too
closely about the mayors report be-
ing laid on the table. The report is
going to be heard from later; in the
meantime, there has been consider
able doing about at the plant, and
Mr.. Caldwell will give it closer atten-
ton than he has been giving it before
the visit"