The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-08-30

the fence prevents anyone using
these wonderful facilities.
Certainly they must not let the
Navy take Porter Place; however,
Porter Place is much inferior to
Poinciana Place as living quar-
tiers. Porter Place has no hot
running water except in three
outside laundries and tenants
aren't permitted to battle in the
washtubs outside. They must
heat a kettle of water on the
kerosene stove in the kitchen
and then carry il upstairs to the
bathroom il they want a hot
bath or other personal admins
trations that require hot water.
OF course If we gave the Navy
Porter Place. they would imme-
diately install electric hot water
heaters and electric stoves and
they would take down the fence
so their people could use all the
facilities at the Air Station, in
Guiding ten-cent feature movie
shows every night.
Should the city give them
Porter Place instead of Poin-
eiana? OF course not! The poor
. low-incomc people should not be
forced out of Porter Place, the
only decent home that most of
them have ever known, with a
privy right in the bathroom and
water coming out of pipes with
out having 20 pump it. No, we
must keep Porter Place by all
means. but what about all the
people who are still living in
shscks and tcrmite-infested ci-
gar huts?
Some of them have recently
been evicted from the shacks
that are being torn down, thank
God. around the corner of ST.
monitor and United streets, but
where have they gone to live?
Nearly all of them wanted to
move into Porter Place but there
was no room for them there.
They couldn't have rented any
OF those fancy-priced tourist
apartments for they wouldn't
have the money and we still see
the apartments listed, for rent in
The evening paper each night.
why. even the Navy officers
don't want TO spend all their
extra housing money for expen-
sive tourist apartments, No. the
officers would rather have Poin-
eiana Place for $500 a month
and keen the extra $500 or
$4,000 that good old Uncle Sam
gives them each month just to
paw rent with.
But where are our poor low
income people going to live if the
builders tear down their shacks
end the Navy takes Poinciana?
III the City gets Poinciana that's
where they will 90 and they will
become better citizens through
knowing what decent living con-
ditions are.
The Navy tore down 80 houses
when they increased the area of
the Navy Yard and then built
the big baseball diamond. two
swimming pools. an officers
night club and a few barracks.
Where did the people 60 who
lived in those houses? Yes, manv
OF the white folks went to Por-
ter Place and the colored to Fort
Village Projects and there are
still manv who are crowded in
with relatives in homes about
town.
What will happen to the civil
ians and veterans if the NAVY
gets Poinciana Place? Back to
the shacks or leave town? The
city has a real responsibility for
housing its veterans and citi-
Gems.
The Navy has the responsible
ity of housing its shore-based
married service personnel. The
Navy has land, lots of it, at Fort
Taylor. which they recently in
herited from the Army. They
could have the Army Barracks
Just for the asking and there are
quarters standing there that were