The Coral Gables Times

CORAL GABLES TIMES Established Jan. 15, 1926 Second Class Postage Published at Paid at Miami, Fla. 364, Sevilla Ave., Coral Gables 34, Fla. JOHN T. WATTERS | President ROLFE NEILL | Editor & Publisher Mrs. Dorothy McCreary | Office Manager Mrs. Kay Squires | Classified Manager Miss Helen Reynolds | Society Editor Maurice Lebelle, Raymond Lang | Reporters Murry Evans | Circulation Manager Robert Collins | Advertising Manager Subscriptions: $4.20 year by mail anywhere

The Big Man from KC When You Row With Roe, You've...

Here're some excerpts from a Saturday Evening Post article about H. Roe Bartle, Kansas City mayor who speaks here next week. Bartle weighs 300 pounds, stands six feet, three inches tall. Of him his wife once said, "Papa can do anything." The former Boy Scout eats two-pound steaks and pickled beets for breakfast and throughout the day will smoke 35-cent cigars at a rate of 25 a day. In a year's time, his cigars alone cost him $3,000. But just half-as-expensive as his $7,000 air-conditioned limousine he drives through Kansas City. "Nobody knows Bartle. He is too complex to be figured out," the editor and president of the Kansas City Star, Roy Roberts, once said of him. Once, Bartle made a speech while clad in a purple suit, pink vest and red necktie. Why? To prove that in America a man can dress as he pleases. He speaks with a mating-moose voice you can hear for an eighth-of-a-mile. During one speech, the blast of his voice shattered the public address system. He uses no manuscripts, but blazes away at 325 words a minute. To remind him that even a Bartle speech must come to an end, a friend gave him two watches set into cuff links. His rhetoric evokes cheering, foot stamping, whistling, laughter or even tears. How old is Bartle? He will not even tell his wife and daughter. But he's said to have hit 60.

Smelly Proposition Needs Attention Now

If you've shrugged aside the possibility of the unpleasant odor of an oil refinery as being unfortunate for the people at Homestead but then we must have progress, then think again. The southern extremity of Coral Gables is but a few miles from the location and the winds come from that direction. And this is the section of our community which offers some of the greatest residential growth potential. And this is the refinery which by everybody's agreement will smell within a couple miles. This is but one of the many compelling reasons why Metro should look carefully into the desirability of locating a refinery here. Another reason is that once the first refinery is okayed for South Dade and the petro-chemical complex begins to build around it, who's going to be able to say no to a second refinery, or a third? As we've said, we don't know if Seadade is or isn't desirable. Neither does our county manager nor the Metro commissioners on the basis of information they've made public. Do they know something we don't?

MAILBOX

EDITOR: "Coral Gables is a snob school," said a Palmetto student council representative. How many other students in Dade County feel the same way? What is their reason for this opinion of Coral Gables Senior High? Recently "Operation Amigo" has been brought to Dade County senior High schools. The latest addition to this list was Palmetto Senior High. Two weeks ago, I had the privilege of being at Miami International Airport to see the arrival of the "amigos." Out of Palmetto's total enrollment of 3,050 students, there were 3,000 present. If this isn't school spirit, tell me what is? In my opinion, I feel knowledge goes beyond the realm of books. Even the "School of Distinction" can learn something from our Latin American friends. Therefore, and I believe I speak for the majority of the school, in saying, Operation Amigo should come to Gables. Coral Gables High Students' Name Withheld By Request

A Tale Of Dollars And Sense

By ELVA CHARLTON Correspondent "You will have to back me financially since I have just accepted the treasurer's office for the club this year," Eve told me across the breakfast table. I swallowed my too hot coffee and nearly choked. "You can't even balance your check book," I said. "They know my husband is a banker," she went on, (nothing stops Eve) "I told them you would help me with it." "How much is in the treasury now?" I asked. "Nothing," she explained. "No club leaves anything in the treasury for the next year. It's because we need an incentive to make money, that we spend it all before the year is out." "Who is the new 'make the money' chairman?" I asked. "Nobody," she said cheerfully, "It's such a tough job nobody will take it." I groaned, trying unsuccessfully to swallow a piece of toast. Eve prattled on. "Leave me some money before you go to the office, will you dear? I need a whole new outfit for installation." "When is installation?" I asked. "Next week. It doesn't give me much time to buy a whole new outfit and get a re-do on my hair." "Next week!" I gasped. "I thought you were due at Doctor's hospital for that little surgery job you have been dreading." Eve looked at me with that angelic look and said, "Oh, I explained it all to the doctor, and he said..." I just stared at her, my ears felt clogged. Absently I tossed her the check book. She smiled dazzlingly. "Wouldn't you rather have me looking forward to installation than to the hospital?" I brushed her face with my lips as I said good-bye, and thought. After all, women must know what they're doing. If they don't, who does?

Attention, Women

This, m'am, is an undisguised appeal to your powers of persuasion over the man in your life. It's in his interest—and yours—to have him at the Gables Country Club next Wednesday night at 7:30. Occasion is the annual Chamber of Commerce dinner. If you know anything about these affairs, you know they're run with no folderol; no stifling, self-congratulatory, back-slapping speeches; and that they are fast-paced to hold to a reasonable schedule. This year there's a bonus in this man Roe Bartle, the mayor of Kansas City who's to be the speaker. If you don't think so, just read the article on this page. And that after you've read it, tell that guy to put down his newspaper and write a check for tickets for two next Wednesday.

©Punch, Ben Roth "Item Seven on the agenda ... arrangments for the next Summit meeting ..."

PEOPLE

All State Friendship Club meeting at the clubhouse at Salvadore Park, held the finals of the Ladies shuffle board contest Friday, and Mrs. G. E. Smith was the singles winner. Mrs. George Randall was second. Mrs. Estelle Cunningham, 88 years of age of 1229 Castile Ave., won first consolation; Mrs Albert Luffman was second. * * * Elkhart Lake, Wis., their summer home will be the future address of Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Gable of 6300 Caballero Blvd., who are planning their annual trip.

Meanwhile, Back At the High School

That students at our high school want to have their own group from Operation Amigo is understandable. Our teenagers have as much to give an international visitor as anyone. And maybe, too, there's the traditional competitive urge to outdo some other area high schools in their hospitality. Visiting amigos would see a typical American trait there. Yet, we can sympathize with Principal Harry Rath who notes that his building is jammed with students now and that in addition to this he's got a daily Operation Amigo going with some 400 Cuban refugee students. Of course, other area schools have Cubans, too, some in much greater percentage. If in the principal's best judgment Amigo isn't for his crew, then we respect it. But it would appear that it would have been very much in order to explain the situation to the students, who early as 60 days ago began asking that their school take part in what has become a dramatic person-to-person program, gaining nationwide attention and plaudits.

Editor's Mailbox

EDITOR: I liked your editorial "Come Now, Mr. Throne" because it contained many truths. But truths, like beauty, are relative and in the eyes of the beholder. True, as you say, mankind needs to change and grow. That's a part of nature. But we can grow worse as well as better, and change likewise. You say also, "The real evil is when we plan poorly, when we let private or corporate greed deflect us." Very true! But has it ever been possible, in the long run, to do otherwise? When private or corporate interests have power, wealth, and specific aims, they will win out. It is this I regret. Often (I hope) these powerful interests are not particularly greedy. Sometimes they truly believe they are benefiting a community. Sometimes they just have poor taste. This brings to mind a group of buildings being erected in the old Youth Center in the block around Le Jeune and Valencia. Near that corner was a close group of two or three great trees, the most magnificent I've ever seen anywhere. When the old Youth Center buildings were torn down, they had the good taste to let these trees stand. When Le Jeune Road was widened, the contractors used that entire area but they let these beautiful trees stand. But now that these new buildings are going up, the trees have been removed even though they apparently would have been centered in what is to be a parking lot for customers! Why? Customers would have been happy to park in the shade and the trees would have reduced the parking-lot capacity by only 3 or 4 cars; but the added beauty would have surely attracted more customers. Then you say I sound selfish—"now that you and I are here, let's keep others out." Nothing like that, I assure you. I want to keep Coral Gables beautiful not only so we can enjoy its beauty and serenity now but so that other residents and visitors can enjoy it in the future, too. ROBERT H. THRONE 417 Santander * * * Editor's note: Gableite O. K. Houston Jr. is the supervising architect on the job so we asked him about the trees. ("I didn't know they were going to be cut. One day they were there and the next day they weren't. Actually, we would have had nothing to say one way or the other. That was out of our hands. ("There's a five-foot strip around the whole property which will be landscaped along with the grounds generally." (The Times agrees with reader Throne about the needless shredding away of our beauty. Far fetched as it might seem, it is no unworthy matter to form a committee to save such graceful sights as some lovely Australian pines or a fetching banyan. (Let's hope we've learned our lesson and in the future leave nothing to chance. Ah, they made a restful setting alongside LeJeune and we had just commended Publix to ourselves for their foresight when a day or two later we discovered the trees lying on their sides.)

Budget Preview

A public hearing on the proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 will be held at 3 p.m. June 26 at City Hall. The budget is being made up now by the city manager.