The Key West Citizen Newspaper, October 12, 1954, Page 4

THE KEY West citizen The Key West Citizen nd daily (except Sunday) from The Citizen Bullding, corner of Daily Newspaper in Key West and Monroe County D.-ARTMAN fed at Key West, Florida, as Second Class Matter TELEPHONES 2-566) and 2.5662 iS cos for seme eee ‘Assoctated Press ted in this paper, and also the local news Member Associate Dailies of Florids (by cartier), 2¢ per week; year, $12.00; by mail, $15.60 ae MADE KNOWN ON APPLICATION and: invites discussion of public issues will not publish ‘Seneral interest, but it ' THE CITIZEN STORY ABOUT OUR SEWER WAS TIMELY AND ENHEARTENING gardless of how well you may do a job, you may be it somebody or bodies will quibble about it. A ago, when several Key West streets were paved, complaints by a few because the work was not er contractor, The Citizen remarked that, aeatt Paved with gold without expense to tax- folks would not be satisfied. every fairminded Key Wester knows, that paving ll done. As to the contractor, he did what few oth- , er contractors would have done, and The Citizen com- mended him for doing it. After he had finished the job, in accordance with the contract, he had some material left, and he used it to pave Greene Street without cost. It was a hurried job, but, when it was completed, Greene Street was far superior to what it had been. The sewer work that has been going on in Key West for several months has caused many a squawk. A few said it was not done properly here and there, and tried to prove what they said by asserting that the mains were ~ too near the surface. Now along comes James A. Anderegg, sanitary en- gineer of the United States Public Health service, sta- ‘tioned in Atlanta, who says that our sewer system ranks among the best in the nation. You may be sure that Anderegg knows what he’s talking about. If he didn’t, you may be sure he would not be holding the job of sanitary. engineer in the U. S. Public Health service, which is strict in the employment of com- petent men and cue of the few U. S. agencies that is un- touched» by political .preferments. _ A good sewer system is essential to the growth of any city.No other improvements are more important than this one, and Key Westers should be acutely aware of that fact when they recall how Key West was “knocked” in somé Florida tourist centers. because we didn’t have a sewer system. Complaining about the way the sewer mains were laid caused uneasiness among Key Westers, and The Citizen’s story about Sanitary Engineer Anderegg’s state- ment Was not only timely but also assuring and enheart- ening. It is surprising how ignorant some people think you ure. The opening of school has, no doubt, broken many @ young heart beyond repair, temporarily: . After November 2nd there will be little doubt in the minds of political leaders whether the present Adminis- tration’s labor and farm programs are popular or not. EMSITAG Wa TIRIETE AIRIE| H ui 11. Refuse 16. Trans- gression 17, Asfaras 21. Kind of mineral 22. Is indebt ed 28. Underskirt 24. Not at home 25. Opening 27. Dull yellowish brown Sf RERESS uF 28. Is able 29. Wiles 31. Fasten 32. Hint 35. Insect 36. Scepter 37. Lurks | | 39. Dinner course 40. Wing 41. Totals 42. Exist 48. Sun disk ‘1921 - 1954 lige cripiag A ews. dispat sag ee Tuesday, October 12, 1954 Of Salt By Bill Spillman Some of our progressive city commissioners had a private get- together the other day to plan ac- tions to assist in making Key West a modern city legislative - wise. Heading the list of planned. ac- tions is a request that the mayor appoint a board of intelligent and progressive thinking, non - parti- san citizens, including an attor- ney, to completely review the city ordinance book to make recom- mendations. These recommendations will be for abolishing unnecessary ordin- ances, amending ordinances to bring them up to date, eliminating ordinances that are discriminating, ete. This plan is truly a step forward. It would be in line with actions taken by modern cities throughout the country to rid themselvés of the plague of old and obsolete’ laws that are never enforced except for political reasons. If you’have had the pleasure of looking through the local ordinance book you can rea- dily see that it could use some streamlining. The plan, if followed faithfully, should take the special interest from the ordinance book. As I understand it, the mem- bers to be appointed would be paid for their services of reviewing the ordinances. Another action the commission- ers decided to take was the study of the Duval County (Jacksonville) tax plan. It seems that they have an assessment procedure that takes the guesswork out of tax assess- ‘Iments. The areas are zoned. If a certain house is of @ certain di- mension and made from a certain type material and construction, the assessment is fixed for the parti- cular zone. All the assessor does is measure the building and look it up on the list. I first heard of the plan from Paul Sher. Speculation has it that the com- missioners, if they find the tax law satisfactory, will probably recom- | mend to Bill Neblett that he take the suggestion with him to the leg- islature ‘for state approval. Our city manager was requested to write the up-state county for the tax procedure some time ago. The commissioners agreed to check with the city manager and find out why the concrete slab to be used for skating and other pur- poses has not been made. Also this group of commission- ers decided to suggest an ordin- ance creating a gift shop for the Douglass High School students to sell items made in their vocational training classes. The profits made from the sales would go toward the buying of raw materials used by the students and the probable as- sisting of expenses for the school’s athletic travel expenses. There was some vehind-the-scen- es deickering to try to get the building inspector to let a certain| party go ahead and complete the division of a house in a single re- sidence area, Seems that none of the commissioners would a, to | let the work continue since it was | a zoning violation. i A man was taken to city Key West In Days Gone By October 12, 1934 Three amendments affecting the criminal court, the board of coun- ty commissioners and the juvenile judge will be voted on at the gen- eral election to be held November 6. These were ordered placed on the ballot at the meeting of the board of county commissioners last night, Dr. Jaun O‘Farrill, president of the Cuban Independence Society, who was in Key West with a party of other dignitaries, who were here for the El Grito de Yara festival and celebration, sailed for Havana on the Steamship Cuba this morn- ing. ete: he October 12, 1944 Resolutions from the City of Homestead, urging that the road to Cape Sable be made a state road, were received by the Mon- roe Count; Board of County Com- missioners at their meeting last nights, Columbus Day and Fire Preven- tin Week were observed by mem bers of the Key West Rotary Club at their weekly luncheon session in the Parish hall today. s. the other day for being,drunk. It §eems that he had passed out whil¢ driv- ing the wrong way on a one-way street. Shortly after the mai was at the police station,, it was dis- covered that he was diabeti¢ and was suffering from shock. A doc- tor was summoned immediately and the proper treatment wag giv- en. This man was discoveted to be a diabetic because he is fnown! locally and was recognized; Two lessons. should be e from this experience. The it is that it is doubtful that people sub-} ject to these spells should al- lowed to drive cars and endanger other people. Second, the man could have been a strange Hal Boy Says NEW YORK #—There are few] greater pleasures in life than motoring—particularly if you don’t know how to drive a car yourself. I never have learned to operate an automobile and now, in my mid-forties, I have decided to spend the rest of my life as a machine age parasite—and have uo intention of learning to drive a car. My attitude isn’t based on any hope that the horse will stage a comeback as America’s most popu- lar vehicle. I never learned to ride a horse for the same reasons I never learned to drive,a car — I never felt sure I could keep either one on the road. very long. People always seem startled when they meet a grownup man who admits he can’t or won’t drive —— le | | put you down either as an idiot or perhaps a secret conspirator a gainst the American way of life. Actually there are hundreds of thousands of adults today -who don’t drive a car. Some don’t be- cause they dislike ~ machinery. Some don’t because they hav chauffeurs to do it for them (T: is the class I’m trying tb join). And some, like a number of gir- plane pilots, simply are afraid of automobiles. Historically speaking, of course, CLEAN BASEMENT CHICAGO (#—One of the articles Mrs. Mabel Bryan didn’t get out of her basement before the flood- waters hit was a case of soap flakes. When the rainwater poured in, the case popped open, is becoming increasingly so. But if you dwell in the heart of a big city, as I do, an automobile dfcan become a financial and nerve- wracking nuisance. It costs more to feed, water, oil, and bed down a car in crowded Manhattan than it does a baby, and I'd simply rather have the baby. I find it cheaper to use any num- ber of taxi cabs than to support a car of my own in we style it demands. When I come home in a cab,. and pay the driver Pm through with the problem of trans- portation. I don’t have to have my ife come out and throw sand- wiches to me to keep from starv- ing while I circle the block looking for a parking place. -On motoring trips with a friend I don’t ‘get all tense and upset because he’s doing the steering and {I am not. Most drivers are that way—they can’t relax unless they are at the wheel themselves. When you don’t know how to drive, your ignorance can be quite blissful and refreshing. You. are free to enjoy the beautiful scenery, and your friend is free to enjoy that fine view of the white line painted down the middle of the highway. This makes me sound like a self- ish opportunist. And perhaps I am. But it ,works two ways. Most motorists seem to get real pleasure a car. For some reason they also get mildly indignant. They tend ‘o- most of the great men of the hu-| out of driving, and some like to man race never learned to drive |have someone like me along be- Caesar, Napoleon, Galileo, Abra-|cause it gives them a feeling of ham Lincoln, or, I suspect, even | superiority. Albert Einstein, who has done as much as any man to unlock the/ you,” they say. ‘“‘Xou don’t know secrets of thee universe. what you’re missing.” A car is an urgent necessity to-| Whatever I’m missing, it sure is day in most parts of America and'n’t the scenery. bated tonight at 8 0’ Poinciana School auditorium. It promises to be a mative session with two local den- tists matching words with a man who says that he is a retired re- search chemist, One fact that has impressed us since this entirely unnecessary con- troversy started, is that to fluoridation has come from a small m! ae Those wlio are in favor of fluori- dation are preponderantly more credible. For example, a host of national magazines have endorsed controll- ed fluoridation. None, that we know of, have it. The latest is McCall’s Magazine. Here, in part, is what they had to on the subject in their August “In recent years the value of the mineral fluorine in preventing tooth decay has been demonstrat- ed in many communities. Children who drink water which contains 1.0 part per million of fluorine have about half as much tooth de- cay as other children. The effec- tiveness of fluoridated water is greatest during the when the permanent teeth are devlop- ing, from bjrth to about 12 years of age, and ‘the favorable effects carry over into adulthood. Proba- bly fluoridaton is the outstanding achievement in the field of public health in the last decade. Over 900 communities with 15 million peo- ple now enjoy its benefits. Many smaller communities with a total populatien of more than 3% mil- lion enjoy the benefits of fluorida- tion as a result of the natural oc- curence of the mineral in their drinking water. In time, almost all communities will know the bene- fits of fluoridation and realize it is a Safe, intelligent procedure, “A friendly smile can do won- ders for one’s personality, and so can teeth free of the pain of den- tal decay. A smile looks better and is better when it reveals firm, white teeth. Take these simple steps to improve your teeth and your child’s: 1. Eat a variety of wholesome foods every day. 2. Rinse teeth after eating. Brush, or use dental floss when pos- sible. 3. Have a check made of the flu- orine content of your water sup- ply. If it is not 1.0 part of flu- orine per million of water, en- courage your community to ad- just the- fluoride content. McCall’s article was penned by Dr. Frederick J. Stare, M. D., and Julia A. Shea, both of the faculty of the Harvard School of Public Health — the nation’s best. It was mailed to us by a Key Wester, Mrs, Everette Sweeting, who says. of fluoridation: “I’m for it!”. XB In the good old days, when you looked into your mailbox, you'd find a letter — or at least. a couple of overdue bills. « Not so, these days. The Post Office has come up with a gimmick which allows na- tional advertisers to make “bulk mailings” which means that they merely address their advertising literature to “Occupant, Letter Car- rier Route,” and cover an entire city for a minute fraction of the former cost. The result: Key West along with ther cities, is being deluged with ms of advertising material. Un- less something is done pretty soon, we'll be buried under it. The citizenery is getting upset about the situation, but their ire is nothing compared with that of the gs,af Pp over-worked mail carriers. It’s a major problem up for considera- tion by the mail carrier’s union. For good reason — used to be that a mailman could cover his route in eight hours but now he needs upwards of 10. : For example, local post office of- ficials tell us that there were 25.- 000 separate pieces ‘of “bulk mail” to be delivered to each home on each mail route last week. That amounts to more than 25 per cent of the total amount of mail of all classes coming into Key West. It’s rough on the mailman, Besides, it clutters up the mail- “Can’t understand a -guy like |» r State Representative a Papy at a testimonial dinner Thurs- lay — the first time anyone has thought of it in a long time. .. with scores of friends, was one of Key West's most enthusiastic box. ing fans of that era, Felipe Car. ing the suit brought by the state Grito de Yara. It marked the date, Oct. 10, when Carlos Mi Cespedes uttered a dom from his plantation ai For the first time ite offer to lease ight for. Conversion as yacht basin in the near future. . . Bobby Waugh, who Communists today returned an ad- - ditional 78 Allied war dead which they said were recovered “‘#8 a re- sult of continued investigations.” | It was the first delivery of Al- lied bodies since Sept. 21. -PEOPLE’S FORUM PLUMBER CLARIFIES STATEMENT Editor, The; Citizen: Kindly: allow me to clarify the statement which I made at a recent meeting of the city commission. Ap- parently, my remarks have been misinterpreted in several quarters, and I would appreciate the use 8f your paper to set the record straight. First, let me say that my remarks were in no way intended to criticize the entire new sewer system. I am not a qualified sewerage engineer and therefore have had no occasion to investigate or question the operation of the main system. I hope that the system will Prove to be an excellent one, which will serve the people of Key West for many years in the future. ‘ However, I am a plumber and my experience with connecting to the laterals up until the present time has not been t0o satisfactory. I have been hired to connect ap- proximately twenty-five homes to the new sewer line. Of this number,’ it has. been necessary to have about 40 per cent of the laterals in the street taket. up and relaid to permit proper gravity flow of sewerage from the individ- ual’s property line to the main sewer. It is my contention that some of the laterals are not properly laid to allow for this gravity flow. While the sewerage contractors are in the City, it perhaps will be possible for them to continue to rectify this error and make changes as they are dis- covered. However, after they leave,.who will make the necessary changes? y When I appeared before the City Commission, it Was my purpose to bring to the attention of the proper author.” torneys fight. - Maen, ni ities my experience as outlined above with the laterals from the individual property owner’s lot line to the tnain'=* sewer. It was and is my thought that some action eould” ' be taken to determine how extensive is this improper grad- ~ ing of the laterals before the sewerage contractors are completely paid off and leave Key West, After time, is the city or the individual property owner going to pay to take-up and relay any laterals which are not properly» graded?) *~¢ Very truly yours, MIKE, THE PLUMBER DIFFERENT CHURCH EXPERIENCE Editor, The Citizen: Does such a minister really exist as “E. G.—A churchgoer” described in last week’s forum? Or is it wish- ful thinking on bis part? : It has been our sad experience to never be missed whether we are absent from church one Sunday or fifty- two of them. We’ve been hospitalized several times, and by way of the daily paper requested friends to write. Friends and neighbors.fulfilled our request, but did the minister call at the home or hospital or drop a cheery card to the suffer- er? Not once! ‘Theré*Was a death in the family. Did the minister call to comfort the bereaved ones? Only once, immediately after the funeral. This was done from a sense of duty, no doubt? Our pastor was unlike E. G.’s pastor. Ours believed firmly in “gaining a person’s good will.” To use his own beautiful (2) expression, “I’m. coming over to shoot the bull with you some fine day.” . In other words, he obviously preferred being con- sidered a “hail fellow, well met,” rather than a saver of souls. Doubtless he considered many souls beyond redemp- tion. Perhaps this is why he ignored apologies offered by some. Or cold it be that he sensed the apology should be offered by himself? Our migjigter was such an excellent “mixer” he car- tied juicy bits,of gossip from one member to another, Then when a divorce occurred among the members, he sided with the opposer and fiercely condemns the op- posed. (Prestige?) If our minister learned that one of his members at- tended services in some other church, he hastened-to get in touch with that minister, requesting that he take the visitor under his wing, saying he (himself)-had failed to “reach” him: Yes, E. G,, our pastor made beautiful prayers at the altar, but has yet to make a beautiful prayer in our home. Of course, such a minister as this could never be found in Key West. Or are we mistaken? Could he! Let us hope they are all like the one E. G. writes about, r = ; THREE EX-CHURCH MEMBERS ~ ‘