The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1946-03-04
W. E. p. Roberts
Enters Race For
resentatist
MAKES FORMAL ANNOUNCES
MENT OF CANDIDACY IN
COLUMNS OF THE CITIZEN
TO-DAY

In making his formal an
nounccment today as candidate
for State Representative in the
coming Democratic Primary, Cap
tain Will E. P. Roberts, World
War II veteran, pledged himself
to work for efficient State and
County governments at less cost
to the taxpayer.
I'm these days of high cost of
living every one must watch his
dollar. The taxpayer is entitled
to protection from politicians who
would hike salaries, without SUBJ
uniting the issues to a referen-
dunn of the voters just to pay off
political obligations.s
h Roberts said that he felt that
Representative with the inter
est of Monroe county at heart
could have succeeded during the
war days in having proper legis-
lation introduced which would
have lifted the tolls from the
Overseas Highway and he feels
that this can still be accomplished
by a Representative who is
friendly with the State senators
as wen as the representatives.
TO pass law in the House
means nothing" Roberts said
One must have friends in the
Senate to get that law enacted.
This our present Representative
was unable to do at the last SEES
sion. No one in the Senate would
introduce his bill, which would
have paved the way for the tolls
to have been lifted from the
Highway. Friendship goes a long
way in having localized County
Bills passed. If elected / plan to
cultivate such friendship"
Captain Roberts is 81 years of
age. He was born in Key West
and attended the public schools
of this city. He is an electrician
by trade ~ @E " 1a,4
In 1929 he married Dorothy
..l99ouise Key, daughter Of Mr.. and
Mas y Stanley Key of this city
They have a son, 10 years old.
and a daughter who is six! He
enlisted in the National Guard
unit of this city in 1929 as a priv
ate, and by hard and studious
work was promoted to End Lieu
tenant on February 81, 1888, after
having completed the 1O-Series
Army Sub-course. On July Is,
1889, he was elevated to First
Lieutenant and on January 6
194l was indicted into the Reg
ular Army along with the rest
of the Key West National Guard
unit.
On December Is, 1941, he vol
unteered for overseas duty and
on July 4. 1912 was ordered to
Foreign Service. In the Pacific
Theater of Operations he assisted
in the determination of the Jap
anese. While in the Pacific, he
was promotedAtp Gank of Captain
He received bis discharge from
the Service on an6ary 20, i DAG
Captain RobertSWas elected tc
serves on the sKeSHs West City
CouncSr m 1882. This was his
only previous political race. lo
~ In my travels as an Army
officer, l have seen how other
states and counties function,
Capt. Roberts said. 81 know how
state solons fight for things that
are for the betterment of their
county, pledge such fights for
Monroe county"
Roberts said it would be his
aim to work in harmony just Sc
long as it was to the best in
terests of the taxpayer and Mon,
roe County.
1T has been indeed unfor-
tunate that our present Repre-
sentative has not been in favor
with the State Administration fol-
the past six years and as a result
Monroe county has had to suf.
fer"
Roberts said that it was hi:
opinion that Representative
friendly with the State Admins.
tration could have had the South
| side of Rockwell Boulevard re.
| paired by, the state Road De
i partment; could have obtained ;
\ crawfish hatchery for the de
velopment of an industry which
threatens to become extinct; anc
could have received some assist
ance in the effort to have the
tolls lifted from the Oversee.
4 Highway.
1