The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-08-21


attorney for the Overseas Road
land Toll Bridge District whose
position expires September 1, in
which he covers additional mat
tiers in connection with the activi-
ties of the organization, follows;
To the People of Monroe
County:
InaSmuch as / just returned to
the city Thursday night and pre-
pared the article, which appeared
in The Key West Citizen, Friday,
August l8, there were one or two
other matters thought should
be dwelled on and which were
overlooked in my report. / be-
lieve the people of Monroe Coun-
ty want the facts regardless of
whom it hurts and / feel that they
are entitled to it without ques-
ton.
| / really believe that if the Dis
trict offices were in Key West,
where the people coud inquire as
to what was going on and the
press could attend its regular
meetings, / would not have to be
saying so much. l realize that !
am living in Miami. Florida, and
not Key West, but / used to live
in Key West, have some family
still living there, have property in
that city and in the county, and
represent substantial interests,
who not only have property in the
City of Key West and the Florida
Keys, but intend investing and
developing that area in the very
near future. / hope some day
that I may be able to establish
my home again in Key West or
at least have home there that
could come down to for the week
ends. ].
AT any rate maybe this final
presentation of the facts may
help bring the District offices
back to Key West, and enable
the District to reduce the tolls to
a reasonable amount, allow the
District to go into a proper pub
licity and advertising program,
force the District to open up its
doors and submit to public in
spection, and finally place Mon
roe County residents on the
Board of Commissioners of the
District. If this is accomplished,
/ think my time and efforts have
been well worthwhile for | feel
that it will be the beginning of a
forward movement for the peo-
pie of your county.
III
The toll increase:
This is so material and so vital
that further explanation should
be given and suggestions made.
The toll was increased because
the estimate for the next year,
September /, 1899, to September
l, 1910, was set at a figure of
$212,000.00, while the operating
expenses were figured at $274,-
10000 Personally ! feel that the
estimate for the next fiscal year
was too conservative inasmuch as
the last full years operation from
April /, 1888, to April /, 1889,
showed toll payments alone
amounted to $237, 969.25 and this
was during period Of time that
the roads were still under partial
construction. OF course, from
March to July the newspapers
were full of publicity about the
opening and this increased the
traffic to some extent but if the
District went into some publicity
and advertising program would
not the same facts exist with a
possible increased revenue?
/ do not think there is very
much argument about advertis-
ing and publicity because every
merchant and business man knows
what it means to business, but
the argument was presented at
the Board meeting by the chair
man, John r. Slade, and the gem
eral manager, B. M. Duncan, but
you can't spend a dollar until
you have a dollar in the till.
That may be true to a certain
extent but certainly not in a
business and the Overseas Road
and Toll Bridge District is a
|quasi-public corporation or a pub
lie corporation having the func-
tons of business. If the District
does not collect enough tolls,
then how can it pay its bonds
and if it does not pay its bonds.
the people of Monroe County will
be assessed taxes to make up the
difference The statement was
made that the assessment would
only be in the Bridge District.
The Act creating the District de-