Coral Gables Riviera

CORAL GABLES RIVIERA

AN INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER 16TH YEAR NO. 18 CORAL GABLES, FLORIDA, JUNE 27, 1941 PRICE FIVE CENTS

It's 'Home on the Range' Again for Great-Grandma Mrs. Slaughter, 80, Hurries Back to Her Ranch; Mackrells Hold Family Reunion in Gables, Too

It's 'Home on the Range' Again for Great-Grandma Mrs. John B. Slaughter, great grandmother; Mrs. Frank E. Lott, grandmother; Mrs. Marybelle Flournoy, mother of Bobby Flournoy -Photo by Pilkington Studio Mrs. Slaughter, 80, Hurries Back to Her Ranch; Mackrells Hold Family Reunion in Gables, Too Home on her Texas range was Mrs. John B. Slaughter this week after a flying visit to see her daughter, Mrs. Frank E. Lott, of 1315 Granada Boulevard, and her granddaughter, Mrs. Marybelle Flournoy and, most important of all, to pay her respects to the scion of the family, her great-grandson, young Bobby Flournoy. Bobby's charming great-grandma is owner of the Lazy S ranch near Post, Texas, and although in her early eighties, still actively manages her ranch with its 8,000 head of cattle. Determined to investigate for herself all the glowing boasts made by her Coral Gables relatives, she packed up her luggage, and with a friend, came here by motor, making the trip to the family reunion in three days. Converted immediately into a Gables booster, she was forced to cut short her first visit to South Florida after a ten-day stay by the necessity for her presence at her ranch. During the recent Texas drought, her cattle were farmed out to greener pastures in New Mexico, her daughter explained, and their imminent return to the Lazy S called for her return to Texas. "I've just got to be out there to welcome home the herd—and those 2,000 new calves!" she explained. Mrs. Lott who, with her late husband, came to Coral Gables two years ago, and her daughter, the attractive Mrs. Flournoy, have become real Coral Gableites. Popular members of the country club set are they, and they entertain frequently at their Granada Boulevard home. Mackrells Hold Reunion of Family Archibald Mackrell, pictured below with three other generations of his family, at a family reunion recently, is beginning 6th year as a permanent resident of the Gables. Mr. Mackrell came here from Pittsburgh, where for many years he was a prominent political figure in Pennsylvania civic affairs. Justly proud of her families' historic Pittsburgh record is his daughter, Mrs. A. W. Barrett. Her great-great-grandfather was mayor of the internationally known industrial city, and her ancestors came as settlers to Pittsburgh more than 150 years ago. Mrs. Barrett and Mr. Mackrell make their home at 501 Alhambra Circle, while two other generations of the family, John Mackrell Montgomery and Mrs. Montgomery, and their baby son, John, Jr., live at 745 Avenue Majorca. Mr. Montgomery is a rising young business man of Coral Gables, and is prominent in civic and social activities about town. Mr. Archibald Mackrell, great grandfather; Mrs. A. W. Barrett, grandmother; John Mackrell Montgomery, father and John M. Montgomery, Jr. -Photo by Pilkington Studio

American and British Air Corps Cadets Will Be Guests at Legion 'Fourth' Party

Hon. J. Marx Wilcox of Coral Gables, former Congressman from this district, will deliver the patriotic address at the Fourth of July fish fry and dance to be staged at the Coral Gables Post American Legion Home. British and American Army Air Corps cadets now in training at the University of Miami, will be guests of honor, Legion officers announced yesterday. The affair, at which the City of Coral Gables and the Legion Post will be joint hosts, is being arranged under the combined direction of the Post's Ways and Means and Entertainment committees, with Adjutant Jack Schoenwald and Vice-Commander Charles Gobat as co-chairman and Mrs. L. L. Long serving as chairman of the Legion auxiliary committee. Members of the Legion committee are C. Warth, A. Houston, E. C. Hodge, M. E. Emery, Charles Swinehart, A. C. Duganne, Pat Ligon, H. Brown, Philip Paine, Fred Fisher and Post Commander W. Edward Winegar as ex-officio chairman. The auxiliary committee members serving with Mrs. Long, chairman, are Mrs. Ralph Fowler, assistant chairman; Mrs. Margaret Upchurch, Mrs. James Hamlin, Mrs. Otto Muecke, Mrs. B. F. Landahl, Mrs. H. R. Collins, Mrs. D. P. Casey, Mrs. F. E. Henry, Mrs. M. L. Marvin, Mrs. Arthur O'Neill, Mrs. George N. Mugford, Mrs. Raymond Perry and Mrs. Thomas Iverson. It has been announced by the auxiliary committee that invitations are being extended to girls of this area to attend the affair and meet the flying cadets and to provide dancing partners for "the boys who are not bringing their own dates." Mayor Joe Whitley will be present to introduce Mr. Wilcox, who will deliver his address at 8:30 P. M., and Coral Gables residents have been invited to hear the patriotic speech and join in the dancing to follow in the patio. The cadet detachment from the University and the girls are expected to assemble at the American Legion Home at 5 P. M., when the fish fry will get under way. Following the fish fry the dancing, for which an 18-piece WPA orchestra is being provided, will start. The entertainment will be halted between 8:15 and 8:45, during which time Commander Winegar will formally welcome the guests, and Mayor Whitley will introduce Mr. Wilcox. Officers of the local Legion Post have announced that the annual fireworks sale, which has been sponsored by the organization for the past years, will get under way tomorrow and run through Friday, July 4th. They added that this will mark the last time that the Post will sponsor the sale due to recently enacted legislation banning fireworks sales. Stands at which the public may buy fireworks are located at Flagler treet and Ponce de Leon Blvd., Douglas Road and the Trail, Douglas Road and Coral Way, LeJeune Road and South Dixie Highway, and Red Road and the Trail. Profits from the fireworks sale are turned into the Legion Post general fund, from which expenditures for Legion community welfare work are made.

Smethurst Named City Auditor

Open House Attendance Tops 1,000

The Coral Gables community spirit, for which this city is well known, was much in evidence Wednesday night when approximately 1,000 Gableites turned out for the City-Chamber of Commerce "Open House" at the Country Club of Coral Gables. A varied program, introducing a quiz program, introductions, short talks and dancing, kept the guests occupied and entertained until Harry Reser and his orchestra played the "sign-off" at 1 A. M. Karl Schmitz, garbed as the genial "Dr. I-Pcu," conducted the quiz program, assisted by Ralph Wilkins, the master of ceremonies, A. L. Reynolds and Frank Folsom. Even some of the old-timers were stumped with such questions as: "Who were the members of the 'Toonerville Commission?' and "Who was the first Mayor?" Dr. Louis K. Manley of the University of Miami was the principal speaker. His subject, "Coral Gables," dwelt on the many assets of the community and the advantages of the city manager form of government. Miss Helen Reynolds and Miss Fern Thomas greeted guests at the door, while Mrs. John Hardeman and Mrs. Upton C. Ewing pinned name tags on all comers. Honorary hostesses included the wives of the city officials and Chamber of Commerce directors. Mrs. Alvie Smith Lindburg was general chairman. Mayor Joe Whitley and Frank Holley, president of the Chamber, extended greetings to the guests and other city officials were introduced. Entertainment was provided by Bill Wood, Coral Gables' singing fireman, and Bill Packham, mail carrier accordionist.

130 Freeholders Register to Vote

A total of 130 freeholders have registered to vote in the special election on the proposed purchase of the water system, City Clerk George Shaw announced yesterday. Books for registering voters for the July 15 balloting were opened June 16 and will close July 8 at 9 p. m.

NEW MUNICIPAL JUDGE MELDS JUSTICE AND INSTALLMENT PLAN

C. S. Robertson, the new municipal judge, proved this week that he could temper justice with mercy when he allowed one of his first "customers" to pay his fine on the installment plan. Sam W. Herman, 36, Solana Hotel, charged with being drunk and disorderly and resisting arrest, is paying his $25 penalty the "easy way" in lieu of spending ten days in jail. Judge Robertson made the concession to allow Herman to keep his job.

Foreclosure For Parks Proposed

A plan for the foreclosure of properties, upon which city taxes have become delinquent, to provide play-ground sites for Gables children, was advanced yesterday by Mayor Joe Whitley. Anticipating a rise in property values, the mayor told The Riviera that now is the logical time to acquire sites throughout the city for these parks. Whitley said that because of the large number of delinquent parcels throughout the city, the commission could select ideal sites for playgrounds in every section of Coral Gables. In making the announcement, the mayor said that he had the unanimous backing of his fellow commissioners.

Free Spanish Class to Open In Gables

Due to urgent demand the American Association of University Women are sponsoring free Spanish classes as part of the National Defense program, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday nights in Coral Gables. Classes on Tuesday and Wednesday will be one hour, beginning at 7:30 p. m., at International Business School, 2416 Ponce de Leon Boulevard. The Wednesday night class will be a double session class beginning at 7:30. Registrations for these classes must be made with Mrs. Alfred Rain, phone 4-1114 and not at the school.

DEFENSE REGISTRANTS OUTNUMBER POPULATION

Vero Beach, June 26 (FNS)—This community received nationwide publicity over wires of the Associated Press last week when a story was released in connection with registration for National Defense. The news flash read as follows: "If it happened in an election there would have been an investigation, but since it was for Uncle Sam, everybody's happy about. Vero Beach's 1940 population was 3,056 by federal census; its total registration during the Florida defense registration week was 3,167.

Out of State Residents Swell Summer School Enrolment

Indication that out-of-state residents are finding Coral Gables a good place to spend the summer and study at the same time is shown in a report that the 1941 University of Miami summer session has risen 15 per cent above 1940. Harry H. Provin, university registrar, announced this week that 861 students from 23 states are now taking courses at the university. In addition to Coral Gables, Miami and Miami Beach, 22 Florida cities are represented. Students have also come from Greece, Venezuela, and Turkey. States represented are New York, Illinois, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Ohio, Michigan, Tennessee, Vermont, Alabama, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, and Wisconsin. Florida cities represented are Pensacola, Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Hollywood, Hialeah, Homestead, North Miami, Tallahassee, Lake Worth, Chipley, Dairia, Daytona Beach, Ft. Pierce, Gainesville, Goulds, Kendall, Miami Shores, Naranja, Pompano, Princeton, South Miami.

Lions Will Hold Joint Meeting

Some 300 civic club members will gather in Coral Gables on Saturday night when the Lions of the southeast Florida district stage joint installation ceremonies at the Country Club of Coral Gables. With the Gables club serving as host, the program will include a banquet, installation ceremonies and dancing. W. N. Fairbanks, retiring local president, is general chairman of the event. Clubs that will be guests of the local contingent include Miami Beach, Miami, Allapattah, Hialeah-Miami Springs, Redlands and Key West. The installation will be conducted by "Sunshine" Brandt, St. Petersburg, retiring district governor. J. Harvey Robillard will act as master of ceremonies for the dinner program, which will include a stunt by the Miami club, singing and music by the Key West group. The Allapattah, Redlands and Miami Springs-Hialeah clubs will provide the tail twisters.

Please!

Due to the Fourth of July holiday, the closing time for next week's issue of The Riviera will, of necessity, have to be advanced one day. Advertisers and those having news items can help The Riviera staff enjoy the Fourth, too, by having copy ready a day earlier to meet the advanced schedule.

Gables Group To Perform In Carolina

Direct from a successful winter season in Coral Gables, Florida, the Theatre of the Fifteen will open the second season of the Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake, near Hendersonville, on July 1. The Theatre of the Fifteen is not a summer stock troupe, but a play producing organization that is active throughout the year. The director, the actors and the scene designer are all permanent members of the company, each with a share in the responsibility of producing. This unusual integration, previously achieved only by the Group Theatre in New York and the Moscow Art Theatre of Russia, distinguishes the Theatre of the Fifteen from the familiar stock company. The Fifteen believe that the quality of production is improved when members of a group work together continuously, guided by a common purpose. The Fifteen open in the Mill playhouse after having played forty-three weeks in two winter seasons in Coral Gables, where (Please Turn to Page Four)

Adjournment Scheduled in Gables Suit

Coral Gables' suit for a consolidation of its debts under the 1937 Refunding Plan will come to a pause today when the master's hearing will adjourn for approximately one month. City Clerk and Finance Officer George N. Shaw was on the witness stand the past week for cross-examination by attorneys for the non-conforming bondholders. Yesterday the opposing group placed John Donehoo and Allen Roberts, both of St. Petersburg, on the stand, in an effort to prove that this community was in a position to pay off its full indebtedness by an increase in millage.

PROFESSOR TO RETURN

Dr. William L. Halstead, member of the University of Miami faculty in 1938-39, will return in September as professor of English, it was announced yesterday.

AIDING RESCUE WORK

A. B. Lambert of the Coral Gables American Legion was named director of marine rescue for the Dade County Red Cross yesterday

Round Table of Citizens May Answer Perplexing Community House Problem

A round-table group of citizens, named this week by Mayor Joe Whitley, may provide the "Solomon" to untangle the Woman's Club-City-WPA dispute over the deed to the Coral Gables Community House and Library. The fourth group, now injected into the controversy, include Frank N. Holley, Jr., George B. Caster, Dr. Bowman F. Ashe, Ralph Wilkins and Rodney Miller. These men, however, may find a solution more difficult to find than did Solomon, who decided the ownership of a baby by ordering it cut in half. At any rate, they'll make a stab at it Monday afternoon when they sit at round table session with the commissioners and representatives of the Woman's Club. The seed for this tree of dissention was sown back in 1935 when the city, through City Manager E. M. Williams, obtained a WPA appropriation for the construction of a community house and library. The Woman's Club, desiring adequate housing for their club activities, raised $10,000 of the city's share of the construction cost. This money was turned over to the WPA by the city. The city contributed, in addition to $500 in cash—labor, equipment and the land upon which the building is located. Prior to that time, the city assisted the Woman's Club in main-taining the library in the Douglas Entrance to the tune of approximately $6,000 per year. This appropriation has been continued annually. Came time for the dedication, and amid smiles and applause, Mayor Dan Chappell presented the deed and a warranty deed to the property over to Mrs. Louie E. Lanford, then president of the club. Now Developed Into a Tug-of-War That was the act that has developed into a tug-of-war, with both the City and the Woman's Club seemingly pulling in the same direction. For despite the fact that the deed contained provisions limiting the use to the library and the Club's quasi-public purposes, with reverter to the city if violated, and despite an agreement requiring the Club to permit the use of the building by other groups of citizens, the WPA recently termed the deed a "violation of their requirement for public control" and suggested that title to the property be returned to the city for the remaining life of the building. This suggestion did not set at all well with the Club, so they employed Attorney Clifton Doll Benson to see just what could be done about it. Mr. Benson does not concur with the WPA's opinion and states: "It may be necessary to have a friendly suit in order that a Court of Justice might decide whether there has been any infraction of the law. If there is any infraction it is the merest technical, innocent and minor one, which should be overlooked in view of the fact that all the practical objectives of the law have been and are still being met. "The Club is taking no antagonistic position to the City or the WPA, but on the contrary, the club's position is: that the present line of action in further presenting its case, it is the belief of the Club and its counsel that they are forwarding the public interests, rather than jeopardizing them in any way. It would be a blow to the city if the library were to be disrupted in its present managment." Curry Sees No Reason for Suit City Manager A. B. Curry, speaking for the city, believes that a solution can be reached by following out the WPA's suggestion of returning the deed to the city and setting up a board of management by ordinance. Three members of this board of seven, would be appointed by the Woman's Club and Curry states that the city is willing to appoint additional club members to fill the remaining four positions. He states that the city can see no reason for Benson's proposed "friendly suit" because, as far as the WPA is concerned it (Please Turn to Page Five)

Smethurst Named City Auditor Action Is Taken by Commission

Benjamin M. Smethurst has been appointed Coral Gables City Auditor, succeeding the accounting firm of Pentland, Purvis, Keller and Milton in that capacity, it was announced today by Mayor Joe Whitley. Smethurst was chosen at an executive session of the City Commissioners this week and will assume the duties of his office following the public meeting of the Commissioners next Tuesday. There is no salary attached to the position, compensation being arranged through fees. Smethurst is 44, a widower, and lives with his 19-year-old son, Benjamin, Jr., at 3400 Anderson Road, in the Gables. He was born in Holyoke, Mass., and was graduated with a bachelor of arts degree from Bowdoin College. He holds a certified public accountant certificate both in Massachusetts and in Florida. He came to the Miami area as manager of the Florida office of the Boston accounting firm of James D. Glunts in 1925. Two years later he opened his own office in Miami and has been a resident of Coral Gables for the past 15 years. He has been an active member of the Coral Gables Boat Club since its inception, his last official post being vice-commander. He is a member of the Miami Lions Club, the Country Club of Coral Gables and Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He maintains offices at 901 Langford Building, Miami. "I would rather have the thanks of the city for a good audit after it is completed than all the publicity," Mr. Smethurst said today. The present auditors have been auditing the city's accounts since 1927.

TO EXPLAIN PENSION

Judge George E. Holt, Senator Ernest Graham and Representatives H. E. Overstreet and M. Wisehart will explain the State Old Age Pension plan at a Townsend Club meeting at 8 P. M., July 3, at the South Miami Community Hall. Leroy Smith will be in charge of the meeting.

History of Water Company Presented for Voters' Study

Believing that the voters of Coral Gables should be thoroughly conversant with the history of the Consumer's Water Company before voting on the question of whether the city should purchase the company's water distribution system for $800,000 in bonds, The Riviera herewith presents a brief history of the franchise, from the time it was granted to C. A. Leedy in 1926. Coral Gables is now provided with water service by the Consumers Water Company, a subsidiary of the Florida Power and Light Company. The Consumers Water Company is the current holder of a thirty (30) year franchise granted by the City on March 24, 1926, to one C. A. Leedy (Ordinance No. 26, 1926). By the terms of this franchise the City contracted to furnish the grantee with the water which he in turn was to sell to the general public. After December 1, 1929, the grantee was to be allowed to charge such rates as would enable him to earn an annual return on the "contemporaneous rate base" of ten (10 per cent; one-half of any excess above this amount was to go to the City. The water franchise, together with an electric light franchise of similar purport, was promptly turned over by Leedy on April 1, 1926, to the Utilities Land Company, a subsidiary of the Florida Power and Light Company, from which the water franchise subsequently passed into the Consumers Water Company. By a contract between the City and the Utilities Land Company dated April 20, 1926, the City agreed to pay as hydrant rental the amount that the Company or its associated companies are required to pay as city taxes or assessments on the electric and water properties. Quality Bad Serious difficulty was experienced with the quality of the water supplied by the City to the franchise grantee, which led to the adoption on March 25, 1931, of a four-way agreement between the City of Coral Gables, the City of Miami, the Miami Water Company( also a subsidiary of the Florida Power and Light Company), and the Consumers Water Company, by which the City of Miami agreed (Please Turn to Page Four)