The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-11-23
MORE THAN WAS EXPECTED.

tinues, "as was to be expected" And
that the rejection Of the Cant idea was
also to be expected. The frank state
ment that this attitude of the public
was to be expected, was really more
than the opposition had looked for.
But frank confession is good for the
soul
The News also says that it Is no
I ticeable that each time the matter is
referred to, the number at the meet
ling increases. The News perhaps
meant to say increases in Influence.
The number at both meetings which
were held in the Chamber Of Com
MERGE rooms was taken by actual
count At the first meeting called by
the engineers there We're Sc present,
and at the second meeting there were
three hundred and ninety six. only two
of whom were in favor of the Palafox
docks.
The News says that the three COM
nissioners. who closed for Palafox
wharf, were elected by all the people,
and do not represent any set or clique.
Certainly there was no clique at the
mass meeting at which the legal pros
I
i That meeting was one of the most
Representative that has ever been held
/ in Pensacola, and had the Evening
News had a reporter present at that
meeting. it would have known that the
crowd filled the haIl, that men lined
the back of the auditorium and over
flowed into the corridor. Also that at
meeting the laboring man predomi-
mated.
\ The News further says that THE
News is pleased to know that the COM
missioners are determined to fight the
matter through the courts" Yet Mon
day night in its editorial The News
stated that Mr.. Cant had come forward
with the suggestion that an election be
called for the purpose Of settling the
dispute" The News. continuing, said
! that: 1.-THE News hopes the opposing
faction can meet with the commits
lsioners, reach an agreement and hold
an election" Surely The News must
know that if the commissioners are to
fight the matter through the courts, it
would be useless to call an election.
for the simple reason that the purchase
being Illegal, any citizens could enjoin
the city commissioners against the
purchase following such an election,
Just as the commissioners are now en-
joined.
1t is somewhat difficult to see just
what The News does want in this mat
ter, or whose cause The News is
espousing, besides that of the COM
missioners.
Certainly. so far. there has not been
one single solitary soul who has come
out in the open and given any good
reason at any public meeting or
through any communication made in
any newspaper in the city which
showed any Partially for the Palafox
street docks, with the exception of Mr..
i Thomas A. johnson. who is known to
have been acting for the commission
ers. and Mr.. j. E. Turtle, who merely
wrote a communication on the Pala-
fox docks. without any mention of any
other sites Of the city.
The News says that the commits
sioners are under dual responsible to
ali the public and the tax payers to
provide an adequate dock. The News
is right in making this point. But The
Journal goes further than this. and will
say that the commissioners are evad-
ing that very responsibility at this
time. and that is the reason for the
present trouble.
The city commissioners are propos-
ing to hand over to private interests
! s1S0.000 Of the peoples money, which
i is supposed to be paid for the whole of
"a, A.
ting only half of the wharf. and are
giving a five year lease. amounting to
sixty thousand dollars on the other
half.
The News furthermore says that
docks located at any point other than
Palafox street would be located remote
from the center of the city, yet the L.
& n. docks and the @. f. & "A. docks
| are not located on Palafox street, and
they have not seemed to suffer any
handicap because of this. None OF the
sites which have been spoken of are
located far from the center of the city,
unless the citizens expect Pensacola to
be a one-street town.
/ Another point which The News
brings out is that should the city COM
missioners build docks elsewhere, the
PaIafox docks would continue to re-
main in private hands. as a COMPETE
tor with the city's dock. Because the
citizens OF Pensacola wish the fish
wharf to remain in private hands is
one Of the strongest reasons against
the purchase.
At the present time the Palafox
street docks are in the hands of CONF
petent business men, who have built
lup a splendid private business which
! is an asset to Pensacola, valued at
many thousands of dollars annually
Why kill this private business.
/ Instead. why not keep this business
in Pensacola. and take the money of
the people and build docks for the
lefty. which in their building, instead
I OF sinking thousands of dollars in a
private enterprise. would place money
I in circulation and give employment to
many who now need Il.