The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1919-11-28
THE GREATEST ASSET
Editor ocala Banner:

Editor Ocala Banner:
What is the greatest asset of a
county state or country? Is it fertile
soil, great forests, rich mineral de-
posits and undeveloped wealth of all
kinds that bounteous nature can
give? If it is, then undoubtedly Ma.
rion county should be the leading
icounty in the state. Thirty years ago
/ Marion county's assessed valuation
was over $S,000,0OO; today it is less
than that by several hundred thou.
sand dollars. Thirty years ago Ma
rion county had a population of S..
900; today it has a population of 49,.
l000-a gain of only one thousand ev.
cry ten years. Twenty years ago
Polk county had an assessed valua-
ton of 100000; today her assess
ed valuation is $19OOO,OOO-a gain of
$16,0O0,000 in twenty years.
AS we rode through Polk county
in the recent motorcade and saw
what had been wrought by the hand
of man, we asked ourselves the ques.
diOn that heads this article: What
! is the greatest asset of county.
state or county," We began to study
the natural assets of Polk county and
we found only phosphate, lakes, sand
hills and climate. And yet with all
of Marion county's natural wealth,
Polk county has an assessed valuation
OF more than two and half times
that of Marion.
Thirty years ago Marion county
had an assessed valuation of almost
three times that of Polk. Thirty
years ago Marion was third in point
of assessed valuation and population
OF all the counties in the state; today
she stands eleventh. Why is thisc
A man would be foolish to say that
good roads are altogether RESPONSE
BILE for the great strides in advance.
ment that some other counties have
made and the lack OF good roads is
the sole reason why Marion has stood
still.
According to the government report
of 1917 the total valuation of farm
products and livestock in Marion
county had grand total of over Sc,
100000 Today there are 1900 auto
mobiles in Marion county whose first
cost would average $1,000 each. We
see by this that in the last four OF
| five years the citizens of Marion
county have invested S1,500,000 in au
tomobiles for pleasure or profit. The
strange part of this is that some Of
| the owners of these trucks and cars
| are now opposed TO an investment OF
I 81 500 900 in good roads on which
TO run these $1,000. 900 worth of carg
and trucks.
1t reminds me of a story | once
read of a city man who moved to the
country. He and his wife agreed that
! in order TO he sure enough people
they must keep COW and at once
began an exhaustive study Of the
care and feed of mich cows. They
called in the carpenter, plumber anc
brick mason and had a $500 COW
! house built After the house was
built at such great cost, they decid
ed that they must economic on the
purchase of the COW. So they bought
a scrub cow to put in their $500 COW
house. We have invested S1,500,000
in motor cars now we must econ.
omize on good roads. AS we said
good roads is not the sole reason why
some counties have advanced and the
Hack Of good roads the sole reason
why Marion has stood still Is it
then because our schools are not so
good as in some other counties? Not
altogether Why, then, the reason?
Simply this; The lack of cooperation
in the people OF Marion county. TIE