The Coral Gables Times

Thursday, October 26, 1961, page 4 (of 24)

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Coral Gables TIMES

Established Jan. 15, 1926 Published Weekly at 264 Seville Ave., Coral Gables, Fla. Second Class Postage Paid at Miami, Fla. ROLFE NEILL Editor & Publisher

Blow Away the Fog

What sort of nonsense is this? Two local officials were quoted in this newspaper last week as justifying the increase in business license fees on the grounds that the price tags on Gables occupational licenses are lower than those of many surrounding communities. Quoted were Kenneth Allyn, the City's finance director, and Lawrence J. Lalle, chairman of the Budget Advisory Committee. It was Lalle's committee which recommended increases in 18 categories of licenses this summer and which the City Commission accepted, effective Oct. 1. As we asked at the outset, What sort of nonsense is this? Since when did Coral Gables begin adjusting its fee schedule to what Hialeah or South Miami or Kendall is doing? And if this is to be the criterion, why hasn't our property tax rate been halved this year, as South Miami has just done? Obviously, the Gables vs. adjacent communities is not the intelligent measure of how to price an occupational license any more than comparing ad valorem tax rates and setting them accordingly. The business license was created for one thing: to regulate. There has been no official change in this city's purpose for such licenses. Yet, we have quasi-official statements that the changes — worth nearly $40,000 a year to affected businessmen — were made not for regulatory purposes but simply to keep us in line with our neighbors. We don't know what the Budget Advisory Committee, to whom the city fathers bucked the criticism, plans to do now that it's heard the aggrieved parties. But we know what we hope businessmen will do: Keep an unremitting pressure on the City Commission until an adequate clarification of city policy is made. The commissioners have been too quiet on the matter. Speak up, gentlemen.

A Pat & a Prod

It was one of those things we meant to do and never got around to. We're talking about complimenting the cop who handled traffic direction at Le Jeune and Miracle Mile some months back during the construction snarl there. He tended matters well. What brings it to mind is some of the confusion currently going on elsewhere on the Le Jeune job. Maybe the offending officers don't know it but the bewildered motorist frequently can't tell if all that arm waving, foot stomping, whistle blowing and frantic activity means hurry up and go, or hurry up and stop. It's unnecessarily confusing. One of the few pleasant memories we have of the Army's Military Police is the preciseness of their traffic direction movements. Why can't all of the Gables force be trained in the art of the gentle, specific arm movement which tells the motorist exactly what the officer wants and speeds traffic along more merrily as well.

How to Raise Children Mothers Have Their Novel Ways

By ELVA CHARLTON Correspondent A series of explosions dangerously close to the Pentagon building . . . a mangled cat pulled out of a clothes dryer . . . firecrackers exploding in mail boxes . . . rotten tomatoes thrown. Happy witching hour. A Coral Gables matron when asked what her recipe was for rearing three children to become well adjusted American citizens had this to say: "I used to have the mischief making headquarters for my children when they were young. I helped plan their mischief for them for Hallowe'en." When I looked at her in astonishment, she went on to explain. "Many a time have we laughed about it since, when they remind me of how I gave then the rotten tomatoes to throw. It was easy for me because we lived on a street where there were no children but mine. "The lady next door was so mean that she considered the snow hers on her side of the driveway and wouldn't let my children play in it. Her name was Mrs. Dill, but from then on we called her Mrs. Picklepass." "How do you figure that was a good way for you to start your children off?" I asked. "Don't you see?" she argued, "While I planned their mischief for them, I remained in their confidence and could be sure that their mischief making energies were exhausted on the harmless ones. "The only harm was to the disposition of the neighbors and that was bad anyway." "Later when we moved to a 3,200-government housing development right outside of Washington, called Fairlington, it was a little more difficult. To be eligible for occupancy, you had to have two or more children, and what one child didn't think up another did. "Once the boys stole all the electric bulbs out of the apartment basements, tied them together and dropped them over the bridge close to the Pentagon building. A series of explosions resulted. "The cat episode happened before I arrived and a baby was rescued before he shared the same fate." "That certainly is an unusual way to keep your children out of trouble," I remarked. "I don't know if it would work with all families, I only know my children considered me fun to be with and confided in me. They never were involved with the police, except for parking with the girls," she laughed.

OFF BEAT

By MAURICE LABELLE It's amusing if not confusing to get straightened out on the "facts." Virtually any week someone will call the paper to straighten us out on the facts. Sometimes a letter will come in to point out the "errors." The printing of such letters sometimes starts a chain reaction of calls and letters correcting the letter writer which is all very amusing and something people should keep in mind in evaluating their "lying" newspapers. Last week, following the publication of a background story on the Old Youth Center tract, Jasper D. Van Atten, former president of the War Memorial Youth Association, called to tell us that the association and not the City owned the tract. But according to City records and City Attorney Ted Semple, the City had legal possession of the property although the Association started the venture and operated it. Who's right? The same week, we had a letter from former Mayor Roscoe Brunstetter and former Commissioner M. B. Garris correcting a few mistakes in background articles on the Tax Participation Certificates and the mayor. They point out very correctly that it was J. Mark Wilcox and not J. Mark Wilson who served us in Congress at the time. How Wilson crept into type we don't exactly know. Never heard of him. Brunstetter said also that he had never been a National Democratic Committeeman for Coral Gables. He said he was chairman of the J. Mark Wilcox campaign when Wilcox ran for the Senate. But the headline on the lead story on the June 12, 1936 Miami Riviera reads: "Mayor Named Coral Gables F.D.R. Head." The story goes on to say that Brunstetter appointed chairman of the finance division of the national Democratic committee for the City by James A. Farley. "I feel very honored to have been selected for this post," the mayor is quoted as saying." And I feel that the people of Coral Gables will co-operate with me wholeheartedly in helping to re-elect President Roosevelt." The former mayor pointed out also that there were two not eight candidates for mayor in 1935. The ballot, however, showed eight names for both commissioner and mayor, all of whom received votes. It is probably technically correct to say that only two of the candidates announced and actively sought the office. Semple had other version of the feuds surrounding the bond settlement which contradict what was published, but there isn't space to go into all that. The point is not to embarrass all these fine gentlemen, challenge their veracity or impugn their motives, but simply to point out the frail of the human mind and memory. —ML— Football is proving a facinating sport for Kin-Hing Luk, a Hong Kong Chinese enrolled at the University of Miami. "Henry," as he is also known by those who find his name difficult to pronounce and remember, accompanied Times correspondent Joe Morris, Joe Junior and myself to the Colorado-Miami game. Unfortunately we couldn't provide Henry with a victory. But he seemed to enjoy our humor as we pointed to every Miami fumble or mistake as "the turning point of the game" that by some strange twist would save Miami from defeat.

Sages Of The Ages

He that lies with the dogs, riseth with fleas. — George Herbert. One good turn asketh another.—John Heywood. A friend in need is a friend indeed.—John Heywood. You can't have your cal and eat it too.—John Heywood. Every why has a wherefore. —Shakespeare.

Remember The Times TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO THIS WEEK

A revamping of the proposed rezoning ordinance was seen last night following a meeting of the City Commission, the Real Estate Advisory Board, and interested realtors . . . With unprecedented interest developed, Coral Gables will join with the nation Tuesday in going to the polls to elect national and state officials to hold office for the next four year FDR is opposing the Republican Alfred Mossman Landon for the presidency.

INK SPOTS by INK

CAPTAIN FLOYD BRASHER THEY'RE ALL HEART! RETIRED FROM THE C.G. POLICE FORCE IN 1958, FOLLOWING A HEART ATTACK; CONTENDING THE ATTACK WAS SERVICE INCURRED, HE SUED THE CITY: HE WON. RECENTLY DADE CIRCUIT COURT DIRECTED CORAL GABLES TO PAY HIM THE SUM OF $6,225.00 TOM SWILLEY IS A SENIOR AT CORAL GABLES HIGH AND VARSITY CENTER FOR THE CAVALIERS. TOM IS DEAF, BUT GETS THE SIGNALS BY THE RHYTHM OF THE QUARTERBACK'S HANDS ON HIS RUMP. KOTYS SAYS TOM IS ONE OF THE BEST CENTERS HE'S HAD. CORAL GABLES BUSINESSMEN, ANGERED OVER THE RAISING OF THEIR OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE FEES, AIRED THEIR COMPLAINTS LAST WEEK BEFORE THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE. AND WELL THEY MIGHT, OCCUPATIONAL LICENSES ARE TO REGULATE BUSINESS NOT TO RAISE REVENUE FOR THE CITY. DELAYED BY A BREAKDOWN OF A ONE-OF-A-KIND MACHINE, CORAL GABLES' 20,000 TAX BILLS FINALLY WERE MAILED OUT LAST WEEK. BILLS WERE THE SAME FOR 10,000 PERSONS, SLIGHTLY REDUCED FOR 7,000 AND INCREASED FOR ABOUT 2,300 PERSONS. REPAIRS LE JEUNE ROAD CONSTRUCTION NOW 48 DAYS BEHIND SCHEDULE! SEEMS MORE LIKE A LIFETIME! BETTER THEY LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE! A RAILING AROUND THE PODIUM IN THE CITY COMMISSION ROOM HAS BEEN RECOMMENDED BY THE CITY ZONING BOARD FOLLOWING A NEAR FALL BY AN ELDERLY LADY. PUBLIC LIFE IS FRAUGHT WITH PERIL!