The Pensacola journal., 1922-12-29
s. VIM DOesn t Pensacola
Take The Leud?" Is Cru
OF Entire Vest Florida

| harvest be-gold, or the bitter pancs
| of disappointment? H., p,
TO claim that Pensacola has done
| her part, or even jot or title OF 1t,
| would be misstating the facts. She
| hasn't And the country folk know
| that she hasn't, and are resentful of
! it, notwithstanding their sentimental
| feeling apropos OF Pensacolas being
| the metropolis OF West Florida.
| Don't believe it?
/ Then 60 out where the country folk
are. are ! have been, and investigate
| for yourself.
| But You ask, how could Pensa cola
have helped; how can She still help?
! In hundred ways. But chiefly in
helping to finance t9re absolutely safe
and sane development projects which
| are being put over. Nor IS it neces-
sary that the banks Of Pensacola
should carry the entire burden of this
financing; its merchants could help
with long time, secured, credits ex-
tended the merchants Of the country
towns Of West Florida. r-everthe-
less. the banks should serve as the
mainstay of the Development, and to
say that Pens&cola's g banks are not
! equipped TO take" any part in it, is
but begging the question wien cog
nizance lis taken Of their published
statements, WHICH show trat their
vaults are. bulging with millions OF
dollars invested in low-interest< gov
ernment a and ~ industrial securities,
with practically no investments in
agricultural and, horticultural devel-
Opment securities.
Not safe?
Then in the name Of the Dei;y,
what is safe il land securities are
not safe?
And if such securities are not safe
for Banks in Pensacola, how comes
it that they are safe for banks in
the rural sections Of West Florida,
and practically every other state in
the Union?
The small town banks all over
West Florida are carrying as much
as their resources will permit, in farm
loan and development securities; and
so are the banks everywhere else
in Dothan. Ala, Montgomery and Sell
ma; in Greenville and Brewton; in
Columbus and Savannah, Ga, and so
on ad infnitum.
Other Causes. of Complaint.
But the lack OF financial support
from Pensacola is not the only crow
which the folk, = out in the country
have to, pick with Pensacola. 1t may
be very sentimental and fiInsy rea-
son for complaint, but with those
who are complaining it is very real,
and of vital force that Pensacola
business men are taking little if any
interest at all in the progress which
is being made in the country; that
they never take the time to go out
into the rural sections to see what
is going on and to : fraternize with
the business people and yeomanTy out
there. 4. 49, .. .-...
In many cases there's aspecies of
SNUG conceit which leads cities to
feel that they are Indispensable. ina
business way, to the smaller colnmu-
mites which surround them. If, there
IS any of this in Pensacola, I'd advise
those who areo afflicted with it to
disilluston themselves. I've been all
over West Florida, and am familiar
with every town in the section. And
from my observation, - don't hesi-
tate to say that there isn't a town in
West Florida which can't get along
without Pensacola far better than
Pensacola can get along without even
one of West FIoridas, towns.
.--'. The Responsibility. .-~-.
Who, you ask; is responsible for
Pensacola's neglect of the country
and of the wonderful development |
which is sweeping forward and on |
ward throughout the section?
The answer is easy; it's upon your, |
and your neighbor's, and my, and !
my neighbor's shoulders, that the re- |
sponsibility. rests-a responsibility of |
a c0mDoSita PenSoralat /