The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-08-13
Accuse Clerk of Blocking
County Improvements and
Trying to Be Watch Dog
of the Treasury"
MADE OF
FAMOUS TEN POINTS
Charge is Made That Audi
tor is Frequently Absent
From County and Duty
for Long Periods.

Branding Auditor James Macgibbon
as a would be watch dog OF the
treasury" seeking cheap political ad-
vantage by attempting TO obstruct the
progressive policy" OF the board.
county commissioners gave = sharp
and lengthy answer yesterday after
noon to Mr.. Macgibbon's now famous
ten points of protest.
Each Of the specific charges made
on last Saturday was refuted- The
reply denounced the former letter a.
an insult The charge was made
that Mr.. Macgibbon had embarrassed
the board repeatedly and blocked op-
erations on every hand. A. special
noint was made of the fact that the
auditor waa away Ter weeks. an4
months at atifhe. Mr.. Macgfbbon has
just returned from a five weeks trip
to New York.
The auditor stated that he would
not make \ reply to the charges In
full, but would carry the several mat
tiers to court Of competent jurisdic-
tion for settlement.
Reading OF the communication was
followed by intense excitement ~
questions and answers were hastily
given. Commissioners Candy. or dis
up for previous criticism. denounced
- false any insinuations which had
been made against him. Commits
sioner soderlind and Deputy Clerk
Bell were at issues on the point OF
truth telling. In . matter regarding
pay rolls OF district three. Commits
sioner Soderlind had been reported
as walking into the office Of the
clerk OF the circuit court with q
check for SO and having said: by
going down there saved the county
S1s." Strenuous objections were made
to this by Mr.. Candy. y
The following is the boards reply
to the auditor:
Mr.. Jas. Macgibbon,
County Auditor.
Dear Sir:
In your letter Of August 9Th. 1918.
addressed to the board, you say:
As auditor of your county. pro-
test and strike against buying ero-
ceries and feed for the county without
getting bids. and against buying al
ways at one store"
The board reminds you. a. you no
doubt already knew. that groceries
and feed bought for the several camps
are bought In lesser quantities than
the law requires to ask bids for Bids
for furnishing' groceries and feed have
never been requested bscauso the
market is a fluctuating market aud
no bidder would attempt to give prices
on theses articles. In the next pIac,s
the board does not buy at one store.
AZ you should know, but ON the CON-
trary distributes its patronage 70 the
various merchants throughout the
county.
Next you say:
Against discrimination a. obtains
In paying labor S4.OO per day IN one
district and $50 In another ana ~ 90
for teams In one district and other
prices in other districta.~
You may. or you may not. know that
the 800 per day paid IL for skfIIed
labor used in finishing work on tho
concrete road between Pensacola ana
the navy yard. hired by Mr.. John
Gerkfns, the contractor. under his
contract, and after the comminsion-
err had run An advertisement IN the
local papers for some two months
asking and inviting labor to take tl,eae
Jobs and had secured the county for
white labor. You may or may not
know thct labor obtaiend It $50 mr.
ny - under conditions entIroly .dif-
eerent from the other montionad ana
only - few instances, almost all IA
bor being paid more than $50 per
day. You may Or may not know that
e7.o0 per day for doub1o mule tearr.
yagon and driver - = voev roanorahf.
prtce IN this time of hlgh prices Sor
Led ana labor. and oepociaI1y Il e.