The Key West Citizen Newspaper, January 18, 1939, Page 2

PAGE TWO _ The Key West Citizen | Published Daily Except Sunday By THE CITIZEN PUBLISHING CO. INC. L. P. ARTMAN, President and Publisher JOE ALLEN, Assistant Business Manager From The Citizen Building Corner Greene and Ann Streets | Only Daily Newspaper in Key West and Monroe | County Florida, as second class matter Press The ed Press is exclusively entitled to use for republication of all news dispatches credited to it or not otherwise credited in this paper and also ‘al news published here. SUBSCRIPTION RATES One 3 Weekly ADVERTISING RATES Made known on application. SPECIAL NOTICE ading notices, cards of thanks, resolutions of obituary notices, ete., will be charged for at of 10 cents a line, for entertainment by churches from which is to be derived are 5 cents a line. he Citizen is an open forum and invites diseus- n of public issues and subjects of local or general est but it will not publish anonymous communi- An respe: IMPROVEMENTS FOR KEY WEST ADVOCATED BY THE CITIZEN Water and Sewerage. Comprehensive City Plan (Zoning). Hotels and Apartments. Bathing Pavilion. Airports—Land and Sea. Consolidation of County and City Governments. Key West has many species of palms —including the itching palm, If you want to remain interesting, try not to do what everybody wants you to do. It often happens that when a business man goes broke he shoots himself. Will Uncle Sam do likewise when the time comes? The mean annual temperature of Mos- cow is 40 degrees Fahrenheit. In Key West such a low temperature would be mean, indeed. We are constantly hearing of self- made men, why do we never hear of self- made women? Of course, this is just a foolish question to help fill out this column. You can’t measure the size of a town by the number of mail-order catalogs that come in, but you can thereby measure the amounts the merchants spend for ad- vertising, A news agency in a Miami paper chronicling the disappearance of two prisoners from Alcatraz, who plunged in- to the sea, gave the puzzling information that “neither they nor their bodies have ever been found.” Not a deserving person or relief need be laid off on account of the reduction in the WPA appropriations, if the govern- ment prunes the aliens from the list, cuts down the wages of the white collar boys, and makes other minor changes, Some Key Westers are refusing to aid in the President Roosevelt Birthday cele- bration, because of their personal dislike for him. They should remember that it is not for the benefit of the President that the work is being done but for the help- less infantile paralysis victims. One of the first acts of Mooney after he got out of the penitentiary was to help picket a Kress department store in San | Francisco. Then he started to pal with Harry Bridges, whom the Dies committee wanted deported as a Communist, and | who is being protected by Secretary Per- kins. * Seowls from the officials and silence | from the public has been the reward each | time The Citizen has made an honest ef- fort to curtail gambling in Key West. It is} said that some pillars of the church ‘play | bolita regularly on this enchanted isle | “where every prospect pleases and only | man is vile,” so the apparent indifference | to this vice is understandable. In the dictatorial nations of Europe one newspaper after another gives up the ghost. The Vienna Neue Freie Presse, the oldest Austrian newspaper, will cease publication at the end of this month. -In the United States, too, newspapers are be- ing suspended or merged, but here the high cost of production and the inroads; radio is making on the advertising revenue ; are the deterrent factors, | ENFORCE THESE TRAFFIC RULES! Nothing ever has been done to curb the horn-blowing automobile driver or to | arrest drivers of cars with faulty or no mufflers from operating on the streets of Key West. This does not seem important | to some drivers, but The Citizen has been informed by the managers of hotels and roominghouse operators that many visitors have left the city because they were un- able to enjoy the rest and peace they sought when they came here. Such de- partures represent an actual cash loss to many establishments giving employment to our citizens, Everywhere cities are making a de- termined effort to do away with much of the noisy automobile horn blowing. In New York city the police have been di- rected to issue summonses, two or three to a person if necessary, to put an end to ear-splitting blasts sounded by impatient, nervous and impolite drivers. There are some chronic horn blowers who derive pleasure from the noises they can _pro- duce on the public streets. “Some of these mental peewees with big horns have driven at least a dozen peo- ple away from my roominghouse in the last month,” a Simonton street taxpayer informed The Citizen. “They toot every time they approach a street intersection, every time they want the traffic ahead of them to move out of the way, every time they see a pretty girl on the sidewalk and every time they stop at a house to pick up the little woman. They’re a nuisance and should be fined or jailed. They’re going to cost this city plenty of money if they aren’t curbed.” No less a nuisance are the cars and trucks operating without proper muffling- devices. They roar through the streets from early morning to late at night and make life unpleasant for those trying to sleep. Municipal Judge T. S. Caro sometime ago denied, as reported by the police, that he would not punish those brought before him, for driving without muffled cars be- cause many drivers cannot afford to make suitable repairs to their cars. If this position is one being taken by other city officials it does not hold up un- der investigation. Many cars being oper- ated without mufflers are owned by those who can well afford to install the noise- muffling equipment. Trucks of all kinds owned by prosperous firms and individuals are daily violating this particular traffic rule. Cars operated by city employes are breaking this law. In general any man who can afford to buy gasoline and oil for a car can afford to install a muffler. The Citizen believes these rules should be strictly enforced and the guilty drivers properly punished in police court. There is just no sense in attempting to build Key West up as a tourist resort if the city al- lows the users of the public streets to drive the tourist trade away. Miami and Miami Beach enforce these rules and there are just as many careless drivers in proportion there as here. “YAHOOS” (Miami Herald) The authorities of the city of New York are making a determined effort to eliminate much of the noisy automobile horn blowing that now ag- gravates the people of the metropolis. In an order to the police commissioner of. New York the deputy mayor declares that the blaring of horns is one of the worst nuisances of city life and he directs that the issuing of sum- monses must be doubled and even trebled, if necessary, to put an end to the ear-splitting noises. “It must be stopped,” is his final word. A striking remark in his communication to the commissioner is that no leniency is to be shown these “Yahoos of the road,” thus giving us a handy word to characterize the chronic horn blower who seems to derive amusement from the raucous noises he drags from his car, or who be- lieves that by blowing his car horn he can get traffic in front of him to move out of his way or to move a trifle faster, which amounts to the same thing. _ “Now, the Yahoos are described in Dean Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels” as a race of men “having the form and all the vices of man.” The deputy mayor of New York has struck on a word that comes very nearly to describing that parti- | cularly pestilent person who relies upon his auto- mobile horn to provide him a grudging right of way on the streets of cities and thoroughfares of the country. That word ought to stick and it ought, also, to ave a tendency to make the habitual horn blower athamed of himself, THE KEY WEST CITIZEN ANOTHER STEP FORWARD | — WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1939 a a ie ee KEY WEST IN DAYS GONE BY Happenings Here Just Ten Years Ago Today Av Taken From The Files Of The Citiren Steamship Somerset, latest ad-; morial services. The public is | dition of the fleet of the Mer- | extended an invitation. chants and Miners Steamship | Co., will arrive in Florida Satur-| Editorial comment: For most of j day and will in all probability| us the scorn of ridicule.of others ' set in size and capacity to the, {many of the rooms have private booked for games | baths. make the trip to Key West. This| remains stronger spurs to our will be the first trip of the ves-| self-feeling than praise or blame. sel to this state’s ports, and comes) and still more so than either ap- from Philadelphia. The Somer-| proval or disapproval. five new sister ships of the com-; Two basketball teams of the pany, four of which, the Chat-} Key West High Sehool will leave ham, Berkshire, Fairfax and Dor-| Monday morning to invade the chester, are already in service/ east coast for a series of ‘battles. between Florida and the North.' Both teams will engage’ in con- The Somerset. has accommoda-| tests Monday at Homestead and tions for 150 passengers, and/ after that the boys and girls are which will mean the separation of the teams after leaving Homestead. Mrs. Ferryboat Key West is off the|Bir, coach for the girl’s team, A JAPANESE SOLDIER SPEAKS We have no sympathy with the plans and purposes of the Japanese Empire, but we have. abounding sympathy for the in- dividuals who make up the Mikado’s armies in China. In condemning Japanese ag- gression in China, it is easy to accept the belief that the Jap- anese soldier is a brute, moved AND WEAR A BUTTON FOR INFANTILE PARALYS | neees i t \ Hy ’ Ah i] | PEOPLE’S FORUM | Saco | CITIZENS, NOT VISITORS | Editor, The Citizen: In the “Island City Column” | of the January 14th issue of The Citizen you make mention of | growing resentment toward the , South Side Association. You express in a few words the | and personal, and the problem is ‘to find the remedy for this. The local assessors, county and city, no doubt are capable and anxious to do their duty, but | ideas of value differ and there is |no method or rule established by forward by a strange lust for Objective of the Association;' the state to assist the local as- blood. Waging a brutal war in a namely, “to put the city om an cossors in arriving at values and foreign land, they have been guilty of misconduct, but, let us admit, soldiers of other nations have done the same. Neutral experts expre; the opinion that dt least 500,000 Jap- anese troops have died, either in battle or of disease, or have been put out of commission through being wounded, since the war be- gan. This loss, enormous as it is, is much less than the human sacrifice of the Chinese, but it is far greater than that expected by the Japanese generals’ when they began their march through China. The fighting in China is’ un- usually vicious because neither the Japanese nor the Chinese take any prisoners. The Chinese, forced into guerrilla warfare are unable to transport prisoners, and, in most fights, it is victory or death for the Japanese. The fighting, proclaimed as a parade in Tokyo, when the conflict be- gan, is not exactly a picnic for the average Japanese soldier who has been taught from infancy that to die in battle is the greatest pos- sible glory. A recent Associated Press dis- patch from Tokyo tells of the popular surprise at a soldier’s book describing his sensations while under artillery fiyé. The writer thought of himself as utterly brave and daring but found himself quaking inside. His confidence that the enemy’s guns would not find him was completely shaken. Nevertheless his morale did not quake “in the supreme holy enterprise of man- kind” although he was filled “with anger at the sight of life being destroyed so carelessly.” Significantly, the Japanese sol- dier observed that “so much noble effort goes into the development of a single human life—but one chance shell ends it all.” He though of his parents, of his wife and children and their prayers for his safety, but the thought came to him “that around were men whose families prayed for their safety yet they were dying, one after another.” This is a picture of war as it actually is. On the battlefield there is little of the fervor and grapple with each other in ‘ efficient basis and make it a nic- er place in which to live’ Since this is altogether true why should j there be any resentment to the efforts of the Association to gain| the results? Your article carries the impli- cation that the members of the South Side Association are visi- tors to the city, whereas they are just as local as anyone else that maintains a residence in “Key West andjor pays taxes. As to scoring other local people and institutions, it ig the duty of every citizen to call to account | any official or institution that spends his tax money in a man- ner which he considers unwisely performed. Further, as a member of the Association, I can state that up to date there have been no person- alities criticised, or scored, if you prefer, and in every case that a complaint has been made it has been accompanied by construc- tive suggestion to help remedy the fault. ‘i The South Side Association can ; and will give to Key West that infusion of new blood, new money and new incentive to make it a nicer place to live.. If, in the process, some individual ‘bringing about an equitable as- , Sessment throughout the state. | There never will be a perfect tax system, because, like any oth- er business;, there is always room for improvement and changes must be made as economic con- Citions change. The unfortunate situation in Florida is that tax conditions are getting worse and there is no mathinery by which the situa- tion can be corrected or even im- proved. In order to emphasize the fact, { repeat. “Tax inequalities and | injustices are caused entirely by | unequal and unjust assessment or valuation of property”. The state can and should furn- ish the machinery to correct the present chaotic tax situation. PERRY G. WALL. January 16, 1939. “NOT ON HIS TOES” Editor, The Citizen: Is there a city health officer for Key West? If there is he is certainly not “on his toes”. To- day I saw several cans of a na- | tionally advertised soup on sale at a reduced price. Upon investi- gation I discovered that a ma- | jority of them were swollen, to ways and is this afternoon on her’ way to No Name Key slip from where she will resume her trip on regular schedules in the Over- Sea Ferry service tomorrow, morning. The Key West was: brought to this port Wednesday night for slight repairs. She} says she has some excellent ma- terial in the lineup and expects ‘her players to make a good showing. The boys’ team under Coach Butman is.in the pink of condition and rearing to go... Miss Lilly Brav, .the popular or institution does not like the the trade “flippers” or “spring- transition to better ways and! ors”, This is outward evidence means, their constructive sugges-|the contents are spoiled and not tion will be welcomed, but petu-! fit for human consumption. And lant resentment belongs to back-/ this at a prominent store on ‘aj ward communities, not to Key main street. West. “Winter guests” who expect to| May I call your attention, also,' pay more but meet with honest to the fact that those of the dealing will certainly not be at- South Side group to whom your | tracted by such acts. I am a article particularly refers, were | “winter guest” and am enjoying ‘asked to contribute their time,, my stay and hope that the above talents, and money to accomplish | related incident is the “unusual” the work for the benefit-of alljin Key West. Key West that they are doing.| 2 “VISITOR”. And they will continue to do so 1029 Fleming Street, until they have helped “to put; 1-16-1939. the city on an efficient basis”. E. P. WINTER. | Key West, Fla., January 17, 1939. BENJAMIN LOP! FUNERAL HOME Established 1885 | ABOUT TAX SYSTEM ‘ Editor, The Citizen: Everyone admits the inequali- ties and injustices of our present) All tangible property, both per- sonal and real, is assesed at the ‘same rate of millage in each tax- went on the ways early yester-, cashier at the Manhattan Res- day morning and was let down} taurant, will be married this eve- early this morning. The Ferry | ning to. James Adcock of Téh- System will resume scheduled op- /nessee, the cerémony: to be per- erations tomorrow morning ex-) formed at the bride’s home. Mr. cept there will be no sailing from | Adcock was formerly secretary to Matecumbe at 8 o'clock but there; Arthur Gomez, state solicitor, will be one at 1 o'clock. | and has a host of. friends. =e | acai . Luis Mesa, arrested Monday on! The Rotary Forum, which. will charges of violating the prohibi- be held next week in Miami, will | tion law, is alleged to have been: be attended by two members of driving an automobile in which. the Key West Rotary Club. They was found 14 sacks of German’ are’ Will Bates and Director Bob beer in bottles, was tried this Austin. The forum will be head- morning in criminal court. The ed by Paul Harris; founae: of jury was still out this afternoon’ Kotary; Secretary Vivian Carter, when The Citizen went to press. and representative of the organ- Officers of the sheriff's force de- ization. stroyed the beer in the court SUE ae house yard this morning. |. Current issue of the Saturday re | Evening Post, on the newsstands Knights of the Golden Eagle this week, contains. a descriptive have arranged an excellent pro-' atticle on Marine Studios, at 'Ma- gram to be rendered Sunday fireland, near St, Augustitie: The afternoon, January 20, beginning: article is illustrated. by niie col- at 3 o'clock at San Carlos thea-| ored photographs of the’ tanks, ter, in connection with their me-) their derizens and.a diver.in one | of the pools, The ‘story, writt¢n a month before the parade, is the by J. Bryan, Ill, is entitled, best in the history of the event”.' “Ocean Under Glass”. * Alls BUS FARES SUASHED Effective January 15th — FLORIDA MOTOR LINES: and its connecting carriers, the hound Lines, greet the New Yoar with dtastic reductions: sutsal Case Mca, parts of Canada. Always first.to- latest in comfort and conveniences, Florida Save 10% on Round Trip Tickets to avoid death. Ni .' ing unit, but, of course, in dif-| Ger Shvilised indiviivels, Wo Wns, ferent locations there are ditfer- sane moments, denounce war and; ht millages to meet local finan-| responsible statesmen make every cial conditions. : | effort to avoid the ordeal of Tax inequalities and injustices battle for their people. jafe entirely in the assessment or valuation of property, both real The Sunday afternoon fiesta at; - | Rey Park, Tampa, on January 22, ; until 8:00 o'clock that night. Mu- which will be a highlight of the sic, dancing and stage perform-! Latin Carnival at that ances will feature an unusual! city, will begin at 2 p. m. and last{ program of Latin entertainment. Key West's Hotel De Luxe AMERICAN PLAN 200 Delightful Rooms, Each With Private Bath Beautiful Cocktail Lounge DANCING NIGHTLY Dave Garson’s Orchestra PETER SCHUTT, Manager