The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1941-04-03
JUDGE LoRD EXPLAINS
Editor, The Citizen:

Editor, The Citizen:
Your reporter phoned me Tues
day for information regarding
the meeting of the County Judges
Association in Tampa during
February and the judges attitude
regarding an increase in the cost
of Drivers Licenses. I told him
that l did not attend this meet
ing as / had a hearing set in Mi
ami on that date before Judge
Barns.
Having read your editorial yes
terday in The Citizen, l felt that
the public deserved some ex-
PLANTATION since from this editorial
it is apparent that the Associa-
ton has endorsed an increase in
price.
1t was the desire of the last
session of the Legislature to Gre
ate State Patrol so several rev.
enue measures were considered
in order to take care of the opera
ton of this. I will not argue the
necessity of State Patrol for l
have found in the sale of Drivers
Licenses that there is a vast diff
ference of opinion in this county.
l may say that there are good
and bad points of argument on
both sides. The Drivers License
Law was passed and the revenue
was to be derived from the
sale of drivers licenses.
This was introduced before the
Legislature about the middle of
the session and the County Judg-
eS' Association fought the meas
ure, feeling that we did not care
to take on this extra work and
realizing that the SC fee allowed
us on the sale of each license
would not take care of the extra
stenographic help needed during
rush period. However, the meas
ure was passed by the Legisla-
ture, as l recall, the day before it
adjourned, regardless of our eff
forts to defeat it, through our
representatives in Tallahassee.
The burden was imposed on us
so we all complied with the law
and endeavored to do the right
thing, figuring on this additional
work with the SC fee going to
the extra help.
When the licenses were put on
sale, the County Judges secured
extra help, figuring on rush at
the beginning of the sale of il
censes, as it was all new to us.
Thus the rush never occurred un-
til patrolman visited the coun-
ty and meanwhile during that
year I lost approximately $4,000
on the sale of drivers licenses.
Other judges lost according to
the size of their county and in
large counties like Dade the in
come was sufficient to take care
of the extra help.
During the current year, we
had some experience so we tried
to cut our extra help to a mini
mum. Thus. instead of filling
out the application we had the
purchasers do this, which was
not giving them the service they
deserved, and we retained extra
help for a shorter period of time.
While l did not attend the
meeting in Tampa, have kept
in contact with leading members
of the Association and I feel that
they would prefer the repeal of
this law. However, the public un-
doubtedly realizes like we do
that the repeal is improbable and
for that reason the increase will
be requested.
While a part of the increase
will go to the county judges, if
such becomes the law. the re-
mainder will undoubtedly 60 to
the State Road Department to be
used with Federal funds in the
building of emergency roads and
bridges. Since the completion
of the Overseas Highway from
Pine Key TO Key West via the
Railroad right of way is on the
preferred list of emergency mill
tary roads. I am wondering how
many Key Westers will object to
the small raise in these fees when
our share in this construction
would be so little, and this work
means so much to us.
RAYMOND r. LORD.
Monroe County Judge.
Key West, Fla,
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