The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1943-08-26
"GET 1T IN WRITING"

1t Is your privilege too to oppose him every
time you get an opportunity. but it shows
poor craftsmanship and no consideration for
others, if your dislike and your opposition to
that man endanger the welfare or interests
of other people.
That is the picture, judging from testi-
mony given at the. hearing into the city's
bonded Indebtedness by the Stands sub
committee, of Comptroller j. NJ Lee in his
attitude toward r. E. drummer. who had
refunded the greater part of Key Vests
bonds, and was brought to a standstill by
Lee. Attorney General Tom Watson and
State Treasurer Edward Larsen.
Watson and Larsen, judging again b.
the testimony, don't like drummer. but Lees
dislike seemingly borders on hatred. Mem
bers of the subcommittee asserted that the
City of Key West had made good contract
with the K. E. drummer Company. con-
tract decidedly to the city's interests, but it
appeared from what was told the commit
tee that Lee. Watson and Larsen were not
against the provisions of the contract but
were against drummer, whom, seemingly,
they did not wish to see operating as a fiscal
agent in Florida. They have succeeded in
knocking drummer out of business. but. IN
doing so, they struck nightly at the thou
sands of taxpayers in Key West and else
where i'm Monroe county.
In 1897 the legislature adopted law
whereby Monroe county from its gasoline
funds, which have ranged from 100000
to $4,000 annually. would be permitted
to give $50, 900 year to the city to be APP
piled to its bonded Indebtedness and S14,-
600 a year to the Monroe County School
Board to be used also for the eventual re-
tirement of the school bonds. But Lee and
his associates flOuted the law; they refused
to dievrt any of the county's gasoline mon
ey either TO the city or to the school board.
The Citizen does not know on what grounds
they have refused to abide by the law, but
drummer himself testified that their Oppo-
sition was directed at him, not at the pre-
visions of his contract with the city, and for
that reason they opposed the diversion OF
funds.
If Lee. Watson and Larsen have got
it in for drummer, that's their privilege,
Is we TtflldlhCQ DtAuiCs D0tS III N-N~ANA'AtNc
that privilege they strike far heavier blow
at the taxpayers in Key West than they do
at Drummer He will be able to shuttle
along without doing business as financial
agent in Florida, but it will cost local tax
payers, if the refunding plan is not COM
pleted, 81 .5O0,OOO more than they would
have to pay, over period of 80 years. IN
excessive interest ON their bonds.
So far as The Citizen knows. Lee. Wat
son and Larsen may have justifiable reasons
for their opposition to drummer. but they
show a warped sense of justice to permit
those reasons to blast the interests of thou
sands of taxpayers.
This is no argument in Crummer'S be
half: The Citizen is not concerned III him:
its concern is in the taxpayers of Monroe
county He is no longer operating as the
citys fiscal agent, 81 Lees. WatSons and
Larsen's continued opposition is now actual
" directed at the local taxpayers
Get their objections i'm writing Sen
ator James A. Franklin advised. s
In that way we may learn if they are
determined to cripple financially Key
West and the rest of Monroe county.