The Times

THE TIMES

The local community newspaper for all South Dade. John I Watters, President & Publisher William von Maurer, Editor Robert M. Slane, Advertising Manager Subscription: $3.00 year by mail anywhere

Time For Togetherness

It was on July 4, 1776 that Ben Franklin implored his vacillating fellow revolutionists to hang together if they did not wish to hang separately later. At stake were the careers, the fortunes — the very necks — of those daring men who led what was largely an economic revolt against Great Britain. It is difficult to draw a comparable parallel between the situation confronting the founding fathers and that in peaceful Coral Gables today. Only the personal fortunes and economic well being of the community hang in the balance here. But, to paraphrase what Franklin said, if the merchants of this town do not get together in a common cause, everyone will suffer separate economic loss. The "enemy" in this instance is competition. There are many ways to meet this competition. One way is to strive individually to improve service, promotion, products, delivery, etc. Another is to join with others in a cooperative program. This could mean forming a new organization or joining existing organizations. The Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce is an existing organization. The Retail Merchants Division of the Chamber is another. Only last week, the Chamber launched its annual membership drive. If you are a business or professional man and do not already belong, this is an excellent time to reappraise your status in the community. The Chamber is already doing much for the community, with or without your indvidual support. A larger membership would provide more funds, talent and manpower to meet the economic challenges now confronting Coral Gables.

Look Before Leaping

Plans are afoot to create a unified countywide bus system to serve the people of Dade County. That in itself appears — on the surface at least — to be a worthwhile undertaking. But for Coral Gables, with an existing municipal system serving both regular bus riders and school age children denied bus service by the County School Board, the plan may not be beneficial. All the contracts and agreements in the world might not prevent a serious change in this fine system once the authority for its operation rested in some other area of government. We can only point to previous experience in turning over other services to Metro, traffic control, for instance, to show what can happen. The Coral Gables City Commission should go into the matter very seriously before coming up with any decision to sell out. The alleged $1 per capita deficit in operation should be regarded in the light that this deficit could be wiped out simply by converting to diesel operation — something another operator would be almost certain to do anyway. Perhaps a cooperative setup between the Coral Gables system and any other system that might be set up would work out to the best interest of the city.

Letters To The Editor Liked Winning

Editor, The Times: My daughter and I wish to express our thanks for the elegant gown that I won in your contest. I am delighted to have won it, and Ruth is equally delighted to have received it. I thoroughly enjoyed the contest, as do I enjoy reading your newsy, well-written paper. Sincerely yours, Jean Zide Ruth Altman

So Who Needs 'Em....I Know Where I'm Going!

Remember The Times

25 Years Ago Five leading business men in Coral Gables were named to the board of examiners to issue real estate licenses. City Manager E. M. Williams appointed Paul Michael, Geoge B. Caster, Dr. Frederick C. Glass, J. Allen Brown and Robert W. Smith ... The city of Coral Gables leased the Coral Gables Country Club and Venetian Pool... Recessionist fears didn't plague A. O. Renuart, pioneer Gables relator, who beamed when talking of the booming expansion he predicted for the city. 10 Years Ago Plans were made for construction of the Coral Gables Stadium at Coral Way and SW 73rd Ave.... The Riviera Times was selected the best of the major weekly newspapers in the state by the Florida Press Association... Members of the Coral Gables Planning Board met to map out plans for beautification of the four-block Miracle Mile section on Coral Way... "Constructive citicism" was welcomed by West Miami Mayor Peter R. Palermo, who asked residents to offer suggestions on how to make the community a nicer place in which to live. One Year Ago South Miami launched an all-out program to get rid of crumbling sidewalks that imposed a hazard to pedestrians ... The fourth of five floors was completed on the 304-bed Miami Baptist Hospital as construction was well underway... South Miami City Manager L. M. McConnell said the proposed library would be open definitely by Jan. 1, 1960... Dr. Arthur L. Stahl, 7408 SW 53rd Ave., director of the University of Miami's tropical food research, was on his way to India. A United Nations' agency named him to conduct a food research program in that country.

PROFILE of the week

John S. Koch, 37-year-old Gables resident, admits that Departments of the Mortgage Corporation of America leaves him little time for his former pastime—sailing. "I just don't have the time anymore," Koch said. Koch, whose promotion was announced by Bernard L. Chernow, President of the Corporation, was formerly House Council for the J. I. Kislak Mortgage Coporation of Miami, and prior to that was associated with the American Title and Insurance Company, also of Miami. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Koch received his undergraduate schooling at Rollins and did his graduate work at Marquette. He is now a member of the American Bar Association, the Florida Bar, and the Connecticut and Wisconsin Bar Associations. Koch was engaged to his pretty wife, Gloria, about six-months before they were wed in 1949. They now reside in Sunrise Harbor and have two young sons, John Jr., 2, and Kourtland, 4. A former president of his Exchange Club in Connecticut, Koch likes to spend his spare time at home with his family at 20 South Prospect Dr. Bn. Ann Harbor, Mich. M. Gloria Ch. John Jr., 2; Kourtland, 4 Occ. Corporate Lawyer Ed. Rollins, Marquette KOCH

South Miami Roundup

By EDWIN KNIGHT IT WAS JUST AN ITEM in the daily papers. Water rates are uninteresting to most people — so many residents didn't even bother to read the news story. It said, in effect, that Metro had frozen the rates of water supplied by Consumers Water Company to Coral Gables, South Miami and county areas near these two cities. TO MANY SOUTH MIAMIANS and one man in particular the news story had a terrific impact. It meant the end of a two-year struggle between a small city and a powerful utility. It may well mean the end of a lawsuit brought by the water company against South Miami that has never been decided. But aside from all this, it means that the work of that city — and one man in particular — to save its citizens on the price of water has gone down the drain. THE IRONY OF IT ALL is that South Miamians didn't save money on the price of water, but the county residents did as a result of the bitter fight between the water company and one South Miamian, Hughlan Long. Here is that story brought up to date: In the spring of 1958 many of South Miami's citizens complained to the City Council that water rates were too high. The Council, looking into the matter, asked for a water company representative to give them an answer. THE ANSWER CAME allright. H. Edward Keating, president of Consumers Water Company explained to Council that the bills were high because of poor meter reading. The result was that meters showed water used for several months but not read during those months. Later in the spring, the Council authorized a spot audit of the company's books. Long was serving as South Miami's city attorney at the time. LONG ARRANGED for the CPA firm of Morgan, Al-mus and Barrs to audit the books. The job was done. The spot audit showed that Consumers was using customer's deposits and customer's funds for water main extensions as assets. These, the audit brought out, decreased the rate of return to the water company. The audit further said that if Consumers had included in its assets only those funds specifically belonging to the water company, the rate of return would have been approximately 10 percent in 1957 and 14 percent in 1956. BOTH SOUTH MIAMI and Consumers, in previous franchise negotiating, had set six percent as a fair rate of return to the water company. The Council was furious at hearing this. Advised by Long, the Council gave the water company about six weeks to show cause why the city's water rate should not be reduced. Keating, the water company president, returned to the Council several weeks later and told councilmen the answer to the audit could not be gathered in that length of time. AS A RESULT, CONSUMERS did not make the deadline. Shotly afterward, South Miami held a public hearing prior to setting its own water rates. South Miami then set the rates under a state statute stipulating a municipality has the right to set water rates giving a water company what the city considered a fair rate of return. The new rates were set at $1.40 for water consumption up to 500 cubic feet and two cents thereafter for each 100 cubic feet to 600 cubic feet. THE FORMER RATES had been $1.50 for water consumption up to 500 cubic feet. Consumers Water Company officials termed the act "confiscatory" and filed a suit against the city. Circuit Judge John W. Prunty granted Consumers an injunction preventing the new rates from going into effect. Late in the year, there were three weeks and over 1500 pages of testimony in the suit hearings before Frank Kelly, a master who had been appointed by Judge Prunty to hear the case. COUNSEL FOR THE WATER company was the legal firm of Scott, McCarthy, Preston, Steel and Gilleland, one of the biggest law firms in Miami. Defending South Miami — yes, you guessed it — Hughlan Long. He battled the water company by himself during the entire trial. The trial was concluded early in 1959. Since that time no recommendation has come from Kelly to Judge Prunty. WHEN METRO LAST MONTH passed on first reading an ordinance freezing the rates of Consumers Water Company customers, it was Long who appealed to the County Commission to postpone the freezing until he had explain the Consumers-South Miami suit to the commission and the Metro Water Committee. Long appealed for South Miami's rates to be $1.40. The committee said no. Long then asked for the County's rates to be lowered to $1.50, the price charged South Miami and Coral Gables. The committee recommended this to the Metro Commission. THIS IS WHY Consumers rates were set at $1.50 for all customers. And this is why county customers benefited from the legal work of Hughlan Long. The county profited by South Miami's setting of its own rates. And South Miami's rates are still unchanged.