The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1951-05-28
This Rock
Of Ours !"
by BILL GLIB

1nere are -FOUR men on the ScdN-
enger truck that goes by my
| house. / wish / could get them
psychoanalyzed because I'm sure
one of them-at an early period
in his life-must have developed
an undying hatred for garbage
containers. 1t shows in the way
my garbage can has been smash
ed, bent, twisted. and abused. Al
in period of less than two weeks
too, for it was about that long age
when | ''plunked out" several
hard-earned dollars for a new
twenty-gallon container.
My next door neighbor has as
sumed a philosophical attitude
about the situation. He also has a
new garbage can, and it has met
the same fate as mine. Instead of
pushing and putting, grunting and
swearing, trying to get the thing
back in shape, he says:
BILL just leave it alone. Next
pickup day they'll bend the
cans again. And, in the shape
they're in, the only way they can
bend them is back toward the
original condition"
Wrong Type Trucks
The boys on the scavenger
trucks aren't wholly to blame.
Those trucks weren't ever design
ed to pick up garbage-their sides
are too high. Putting myself in
their place, ! doubt if l could do
as well as they do--heaving a for
ty or fifty pound can ten feet in
the air all day long.
But sympathy for the workers
doesn't alter the fact that it's If
ritating and expensive to contin-
ually replace garbage cans.
Moreover
If we're going to invite tourists
and build toward a more beauti-
full town, we should have a scav-
enger service that does not re-
quire garbage cans placed on our
front door steps and lawns.
This Rock" has already receiv-
ed several comments from visi-
tors. One of the first things they
noticed in Key West was the
garbage cans lined up in front of
residences and stores. Strangers
especially take note of the cans
because so often they simply
drive around town to study the
beautiful plants. flowers, and
trees that make the island a trop-
zeal paradise. as -sess
Politics
It's not often l find cause to
disagree with City Commissioner
G. B. Harvey. The mans record
and years of public service have
shown him to be honest, capable,
and progressive. His arguments
are logical and often provide the
balance wheel" that keeps an en-
tire city commissioners meeting
from going "hay-wire."
However, Mr.. Harvey, speaking
of the tax assessors office, saws
he can see nothing objectional in
a consolidation of city and county
offices. That it would provide a
reduction in the expense of gov
| eminent.
This is all true. But it would
also take away a lot of our in
dependence and freedom if the
consolidation were extended so
that the present county officials
achieved complete control over US
all.
With the exception of Joe Al
len, there is hardly politician in
the county government who has
shown an inclination toward in
dependent action Nor have they
shown, in my estimation, any in
tereSt in the city of Key West.
Arbitrarily they tell us that we
will give up our airport, that we
will be taxed twice as much for
the County Hospital as the other
landowners in the county, etc.
Regardless of the Brightness OF
wrongness of any of their com
MANDS''. it rankles American
citizens not to be consulted on
situations that they alone should
be allowed to decide.
So let's take it easy, Mr.. Har.
vey, and consider what the out,
come of consolidation of the
city and county might lead to il
it happened under present con.
ditions.
CONTEST
Name of Newspaper Carrier en-.