The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-02-13
THE PUBLIC BE DAMNED AGAIN!

SohtAcAJ W IHS weight VI puOllC opiIIOI
and of sound common sense, the affected
taxpayers and citizens are very likely to
become suspicious They question the
motives and aims of those officials.
That is why, today, Councilmen Earl
Adams, Roy Fulford, William Monsalvatge
and Will E. P. Roberts are under fire. Last
week they passed, over the objections of
.Gpuncilmen William Doughty, William
Freeman and Jim Roberts, resolution
authorizing Mayor Willard M. Albury to
enter into contract for the purchase of ap-.
proximately 200 Traffico Co. parking
meters at cost of $45 each. Ugly rumors
have been set afloat by those objecting,
first, to buying meters at S45 when they
may be bought for $50 from another COM
pany which bid for the contract and,
second, to buying meters for community
that does not want or need them.
While The Citizen takes no stock in
rumors, knowing that the majority of
them is false and unfounded, it certainly
seems like very poor judgment, or some
thing, to pay $45 for device that may be
purchased for $50. Majority members of,
Hhe council explain their Strange be-
ikaViarsby stating that the Traffico meter
is better than the other one offered. Who
ldetermined this gsppsfierity. Both meters
are of'the nianuat, type ffthat is, they are
hand operated-a type ihat' isssegarded
as obsolete and steadily being discarded
by other cities. There may be some slight
difference between the two offerings, but
is it possible for anyone on the city coun-
Gil to determine that one is worth SIS
more than the other? How can any
councilman state positively after a casual
inspection, seeing with an unframed eye,
that one manual meter is better than
another manual meter?
However, regardless Of the price con-
sideration, the city Of Key West does not
need, does NOT want parkfhg' meters at
this time" The streets are net spFlatteredi
with cars that traffic cannot be controlled
without driving people 'dut' of 1iteilcity. "A
stranger seeking to park his, car for the.
night has nowhere else to park it, except
in the street. Recent SURVEYS, one by
Councilman Doughty, who with Messrs.
freeman and Jim Roberts deserve the
thanks, of this eornmunGtgg s.AIing 4healfight
against the meters,la prove I, onGlusively
that citizens generally, businessmen,
hotels, restaurants, roominghouses and
others doing business on Duval, Fleming
and Simonton Streets are opposed to In
stallation of the Ubiquitous devices.
1t is the general opinion that the pres
ence of parking meters on the streets will
be constant temptation to petty thlevery
because they are easy to pick unless
there is adequate police supervision. 1t is
eontended the cost of supervision will ex-
ceed the percentage of nickels the city is
to receive from the total dropped into the
mechanical tax collectrs. Adams, Fulford,
Monsaivatge, WIZ Roberts and Mayor
Albury declare no additional policemen
will be needed to protect the devices from
thieves That remains to be seen. Mayor
Kai1arys has been seeking additional police
men on the ground the city is now under
Sppobficed. If that ibsfthe ease, how can the
present police force watcn zoo parking
meters?
It seems to The Citizen that the ma
jority members of city council have given
scant consideration to the people they
represent. In voting again for parking
meters they have ignored the wishes OF
large number of their constituents. Ana
we thought the public-be-damned policy
died when Theodore Roosevelt big-sticked
corrupt politicians and corporations into
the line of righteous treatment Of the pub
lie!
The Citizen will go along with any
group of men or organizations that Will
take action for an injunction restraining
Mayor Afbury from signing the contract
or. if already signed, to seek some legal