The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-08-02
REESE TALKS ON
DELAY OF BONDS.
County Attorney Says Bond Attorney
Away on Vacation and Possibly Ill.

meeting of the board of county COM
missioners and the joint commission
on good roads for Escambia county,
following an explanation offered by
County Attorney r. Pope Reese as to
the long delay which has occurred in
having the road bonds, voted almost
year ago. approved.
None of the correspondence between
Mr.. Reese and the firm of Wood and
Oakley, of Chicago, bonding attorneys,
was shown by him, but Mr.. Reese, at
the request of r. l.. Cant, acting as
chairman of the joint commission on
good roads, for an explanation OF the
delay which has occurred in having
the bonds approved. spoke at length
of legal delays and of the failure OF
the firm to answer his letters prompt
ly and explained that the Mr.. Wood of
firm had been on a months vacation
and unless he became incapacitated by
illness he (Mr. Reese expected to hear
from Mr.. Wood within few days. Mr..
Reese said he expected Mr.. Woods
opinion to be the same as his own.
Mr.. Reese said that there was nothing
the matter with the bonds, and that
he imagined Mr.. Wood would be back
on the job by August I, and would
give an opinion in a short time Mr..
Reese said that Commissioner Went
worth was mistaken about the $1,000
600 issuance of bonds, and did not un
derstand anything about it. Mr.. Reese
added that he understood it and that
the bond attorney had suggested that
az iccy,Y l. IL - ,FNIo
100000.
Mr.. Reese has at various times as
sured the board that he expected it to
be only a few days until the deci-
sion of the bond attorney would be
made. The board some time ago met
an objection made by the bond attor
ney as to the date of issuance of the
bonds and changed the date, allowing
more time for tax collection. "A reso-
luton by the board provides for 8 IL
mills on the dollar as an annual tax
to pay the interest on $1,000,000 and
IL mills on the dollar to be raised
as sinking fund to meet the principal, |
making mills levy, as stated in Sun
days Journal. for bonds alone. 1t has
been expressed by some that this mill
lage does not allow sufficient mar
gin. in the collection of taxes to care |
for the bonds.
Mr.. Reese then said that everything |
had been done that possibly could |
be done and that the board had been
working hard and conscientiously to |
carry the work forward in building |
the roads. He said that deliberate mis-
statements had been published in The |
Journal to deceive the people showing |
some malignant spirit was at work. |
Mr.. Reese said that the work should /
be done in harmony, without criticisms
being made. and that the board had |
certainly not broken faith with anyone
in raising the taxes.
The school board in asking for its |
levy was greatly responsible for the |
high levage of taxes, he said, but /
surely the children should be cared /
for"
Members of the joint commission on !
good roads and citizens present de- |
MED having given anything to the
press placing them in an antagonistic /
attitude toward the board, but unan-
imously asked for quick action in get
ting the roads started, on the bonding
of which the people would soon have
to begin paying taxes. Paul P. Stew
art, of the Pensacola Shipbuilding Co.
7. L. Cant, Fred w. Marsh, Geo. EN-
and others made addresses
asking that some action be taken in
getting the roads built.
Mr.. Marsh then suggested the fol-
lowing resolution, which was carried.
but asked that he be not named on
the committee, as he felt in view of the
pledges made campaign literature
for good roads that he could not con-
act on the committee and /
keep the spirit of those pledges:
Moved and carried that the chair
man of the board Of county commits
sioners shall designate two members
Of the board of county commissioners
and the chairman of this commission
shall designate two members of the
committee, not county commissioners,
together with one member of the bond
trustees and the county attorney, shall
constitute committee to propose a
definite road program to be put in
action construction for the ensuing tax
year, and to recommend to the board
Of county commissioners what amount L
IF road bonds should be issued to meet
same during the said tax year."
Named on the committee We're: Tom
Johnson, r. P. Reese, Paul P. Stewart,
George Emmanuel, Gus Soderlind and
4. E. Candy.
County Engineer Wheat then said
hat the Century and Carpenters
,reek bridges were not to be built out
If the bond issue, and that he thought
statement. should be made and given
o the public and the press answering
n detail the accusations made against
he commissioners. 1t was carried that
he committee appointed on Mr..
Iarsh's resolution act as committee,
IN Mr. Wheat's suggestion, with Mr.
Wheat to be added as member of
he committee.
Mr.. Wheat's motion was:
THAT the committee be instructed
o prepare and publish an answer 10
he charges made in the press against
I