The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-11-26
Dock Site Said TO Be
Already Decided On
Unofficial But Reliable Reports
Insist Commissioners Have
Made Choice.
NO COMMITTEES ASKED
City Officials Apparently Do Not
Relish Advice from
Civic Bodies.
ny Lucky saldwinl

The announcement by Mayor san.
ders that the commissioners win act
strictly ON their own initiative In -.
lecting the site for the municipal docks
Is surprising In view Of the fact that
only few weeks ago the mayor aaia
be would ask for COMMITTEES from
the principal civic organisation 10 go
into the matter and make a recon-.
nendation.
OF course the mayor has fun right
20 change his mind. and SO have tho
other commissioners. but
The commissioners are abaut a.
spend 100000 Of the taxpayers money
and are going 70 embark on the hssn,
ness OF building municipai ao-k.
which admittedly viii have 20 be add
ed to from time TO time. In other
words. the selection they make now
viii determine the entire future If mu.
nieipai docks IN Pensacola.
whaever site the commissioner
choose will. Oh course. be the site On
which the flrst section OF the docks a
built II therefore behooves the CON.
missioners to select a site which OF
fers opportunity Tor expansion a.
limc goes on not site which does
not leave room for increased length ~
wharfage. bigger warehouses or hip
Ser yards
IL has como 81 The journal from
seint~ofiieial quarters that the com.
nisstonefs have alreadg made an their
minds 81 select the raiaf0N wharf
site. now ownod ~ tho T.. h. saun-
derB company.
The greatest objection To this si,r
j. that there Il NOT avaIlahla rnura fa,.
trackage and neither a. there rnosn rssr
expansion The pier head line Is ont,
a few hundred feet from the ems. ~
the present wharf aud on the vesf
side. tho so-caiied Eikin slip the war
department has a ruling that tbe
channel must always be left clear.
The /. 4 y. Il. u. has a perpetual
franchise on Jefferson st. aud CON
trolls the approach to other streets ~
which railroad cracks might pranerl.
De run Tho result is thnt mo- railroad
yards are available. other than sIaso
of the T. A. ~. which even now mrn
not sufficient 10 meet their own needs
Whatever land the city obtains viii -
by condemnation proceedings.
Moreover. II the L. a " il Go con
troll the tracks and yards. why MOI
turn the municipal docks over 10 the
railroad and let IL go at that?
While Il is quite true that the com
nissioners have fun authority to 80.
Iect tho site. n should be remembered
that the money they are spending -
being provided by the taxpayers ara
that these men. through their repre-.
sentative organizations. ought to havw
something 10 say about the selection
of the site
II the commissioners do not beIleva
the chamber Of commerce and the
other civic organizations are repre-
sentative. they could hold an election
Of the taxpayers qualified 20 vote In q
bond election TO- the choice OF a site.
In the opinion Of The Journal this
would be the fafrest naeahod OF all
Some fair method should be chosen
to obtain the opinion OF tho men who
are 20 pat up the money. The Jour
nai believes that any other course wfll
be prffna facie evidence that the com
missioners are not ready 70 cooper
ate with the taxpayers and are not
willing 20 trust the decision as to the
dock site 10 business men who ara
interested IN the future OF ths city
more than the division OF 3s09 Geo OF
the taxpayers money.