The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1921-03-17
MANY IMPROVEMENTS
DUE TO MARTIN


Marion county began to improve its
roads and Ocala it's streets. 1t is a
mild estimate to say that a million
and a half dollars have been spent
for that purpose alone. in that time.
IL Today, the roads are about where
they were when each little section was
when it was half finished. Some good
work has been done on 200 miles of
road and twenty miles of streets. We
have gone as far as we can go with
out resorting to some other method,
because it now takes all we can raise
from taxation to keep what we have
in passable condition.
The reason for this is principally
the want of system. Much hard and
some skillful work has been done,
but done in bits. more than doubling
the expense and producing results far
from permanent.
10 Mr.. John R. Martin, superintendent
of. street work for Ocala, and the
man who a considerable number, prob
ably large majority, of our citizens
desire to put in the place of city
manager, has been showing during the
few months of his incumbency, the
virtues of concentration for the al
ways present and careful planning
for the future. and if the work had
been under his supervision for the
] last twenty years it is more than
likely that Marion county and Oeala
would not have had TO bond for a
single yard of road or street.
hfaas Lost Motion
81 When you put in operation any ma
chine some of the parts of which have
not been properly fitted, or have worn
loose, there is always an element call
ed lost motion. which in not long
] time more than equals the value of
the machine and the work it has done.
This lost motion has been amply in
evidence in the roads and streets of
9 Marion and Ocala and many other
counties and towns, and will continue
to be until the end of the petty policy
of dividing steam-shovel full of
dirt that should go in one place into
spadefulls scattered over a mile or
two.
Dixie Highway
A Star reporter took ride over
some of our streets Wednesday morn
ing to see what Mr.. Martin and his
force We're doing. The procession
started from in front of the Star Of
lice and went north down Main street,
which is now officially section of the
Dixie highway.
5. Main street has been cut thru the
block that up to few weeks ago sep
j arated it from the union station plaza.
Thru this block it slants to the north
west, joining Magnolia near the Sea-
board. and just west of the new res
taurant building MacKay & Company
are putting up for Temple & David
, son. The street is of great impor-
stance-the one street magnolia up
from the station in the last year or
two having become congested with
traffic.
Iudicious Exchange of Resources
Driving on out Magnolia the county
road machine was found at work In
order to obtain the use of this ma
chine when the, county is not using
it, Mr.. Martin is giving the county
lime for the Dunnellon road from the
city's lime pit and rock crusher south
west of the city and right alongside
the road. As the county had former
lily been obtaining lime from Kendrick
the new arrangement saves it II
mile haul-a very large item indeed
On the other hand the county road
machine does ten times as much work
In the same time as the city street
force with its little steam roller.
Settled Dispute
Coming back up Main, the reporter
saw a sample of Mr.. Martins diplo
macy. In front of the house at tn,