The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-09-01

NWM W@ - = 49,"
Editor, TIE ciiixens
Thla is a. epsn letter 10 the eiti-
|Rena. and more particularly 10 the
husiness men 81 Key West. rela-
tive 10 Ire tolls nov being collect
ed n the lower coll ante. BIC Pine
Key. from 81 but bona TIDE resi-
dents q Moaroe County.
Does the average businessman ol
Key West - the individual hotsl.
motel. restaurant, cafe, as vel Is
store 0wnar o. operator, Feallne the
less az reNenue be or ahe IA e..
|periencing due % TIE collection Of
tails At ne lever gate. I have been
|tnld. hy q well.lnlormed restaurant
|man. that appfuxlmatsiy s.eoo cut
side cars reached Marathon last
year. OF lhla number. my Informant
claimed that only about Loo cars
reached Key West. Whyf believe
the answer h obvious - the e0llee.
tion II tolls on the return trip at
TIE lower gate.
The average tourist. or FloEidlan.
visiting The Keys - and particular
" that portion a the Keys south|
oi the North Ton Gate, finding sat.
iafaetory Motel ard eating aecomo-
dailona all The way 10 Marathon.
hssilates 10 shell cut SIS for him
SELF and car plus - cents extral
for every additional memher o. his
family Or ear occupants on his re-.
turn trip 10 Miami. solely because
he has noe veniuFed further south
|of ne BIG Pine Ton safe. BY ven
gate M IA most certainly out Of
airing south q that particular tel
pocket money, and 81 ear owners
make every effDrt 20 save tolls.
Key West Ia East establishing h.
ELF ~ q lively and likely shopping
|eenaer. Kxeelleni men and womem's
apparel shops. shoe stores. elecsrl.
cal. hardware a. vel e. Motels.
cafes and restaurants are 10 Be
found here. with prices comparable
% points north. The upper Keys
from Marathon onward Do not pro.
vide In the same measure that
which Key west Il now providing.
I firmly believe that . greater
humber II tourists as vel 80 resi-.
dents of Florida. WI come 10 Key
West this winter Il TIE State Rep.
resanlative Mr. papy enn be- pre-.
vailed upon "a use his influence as
. Senior Member a TIE Florida
house II Representative In abol.
lahing the lower cate tells. And In
addition, end this ls very important
Cor your benefit. Mr.. Businessman,
Of Key West. prevail upon ne Over.
seas Commlssion. thru yoar State
Representative % Feestahllsh the
former rate. In effect last win.
Ger Cor . short spell. az 500 per
car. regardless q the number 81
car ocempanla. THIS coll b be col.
leeted once only 1t the Northern
Ton safe and once only - on en-.
trance. No toll On the return trip.
A . matter of interest, I per.
sonally know that upon completion
Of tie San Francisco oakland Bird.
see. a toll AZ si.oo was charged.
Traffic was nol heavy. and the ga.
liberties decided DO entice travel b.
lowering TIE traffic. 10 - cents
Ard lnewease resulted. And then lag
greater travel the toll was reduced
10 20 cents and then 10 IS cents
al h . short space of time. Ths
Increased revenue vas more thar
ample % meet al obligations, etc
Why not lover the present Col
rate charged tourists. etc. Betfel
stan abolish Il all together. The
Chamber of Commerce has or /.
collecting = large sum ol money
Coz publicity purposes. The Over
seas Highway Tells 10 q large ex
tent Nh nat publicity - Ear more
than possibly ne Key West pahliS
realizes. Il seems 70 me that ths
greatest puhliclly re can give i
% advertise the fact that al tolls
are abolished. and il not. that oals
SEQ s charged per car regardless
q TIE number a. occupants. ant
that the tel applies only enc way
H. No tolls Cor the return trip q
the tourists home.
Commander Ran ~ nNrna