Have you ever wondered what stories made headlines in Jacksonville 50 years ago? It may have been a different era of history, culture and politics, but there are often parallels between the kind of stories that made the news in 1958 and today. As interesting as the similarities may be, so are the differences. These are some of the top stories published in the Florida Times-Union 50 years ago this week. The items were compiled by Staff Writer Max Marbut from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives.
• A $300 damage suit was filed against Duval County in Small Claims Court as a result of a traffic accident in July involving a County truck at Union and Market streets. The suit, a tort action, was considered unusual because it was one of the first in the state involving a governmental body as the defendant. The Florida Supreme Court had recently rendered a decision allowing a lawsuit against the City of Cocoa Beach in a case involving alleged negligence of a city employee.
• Dr. William Howard, a professor of insurance at the University of Florida and a consultant who had been retained by the Chamber of Commerce, reported that if all employees eligible for benefits under the City’s pension plan were to retire at once, available funds would be depleted in 18 months. He also said Jacksonville’s City employee payroll and pension plan was, “tremendously expensive,” compared to plans in place in other municipalities. He pointed out the City was not paying the accruing costs on a yearly basis and that meant total pension fund costs could be equal to 50 percent of the annual payroll. Howard also said in addition to pension benefits, “remarkably liberal benefits beyond pensions are being provided” including pensions for widows of City employees and a disability benefit. “This is all very unusual,” he added.
• Utilities Commissioner J. Dillon Kennedy told the City Council Budget Committee the Electric Department would transfer more than $9 million of its revenue to help finance operations of other departments in 1959. More than 50 percent of the General Fund appropriations would be funded by the transfer. Kennedy also told the committee he had reduced his department’s proposed budget by $1,069,271, bringing the total figure to $30.1 million.
• An out-of-court settlement was reached in a $30 million libel suit brought by Louis E. Wolfson, who was once a principal owner of Capital Transit Company. The action was in response to editorials published in the Washington Post and Times Herald concerning the 1955 bus and street car strike in Washington, D.C. that implied Wolfson’s company had violated laws. An editorial published in the newspaper on Oct. 30, 1958 stated, “For his part, Mr. Wolfson is withdrawing the suit without any payment to him upon the publication of this statement clarifying the meaning of the (1955) editorials. On its part, the Washington Post Company has agreed to contribute $25,000 to the Baptist Memorial Hospital of Jacksonville, Florida, a charitable institution which has Mr. Wolfson’s support and in which the Washington Post Company is also interested, through its operation of television station WJXT in that city.”
• The Duval County Commission approved awarding a contract for 36 new cars for the Duval County Road Patrol to the Gordon Thompson Company, the low bidder at $82 per month rental and 7.9 cents per mile service charge for each vehicle. The Commission had $110,000 in its budget for the rental and maintenance of the cars and it was feared the funds would be insufficient. In 1957, $100,000 was initially budgeted for 30 cars and a $10,000 supplemental appropriation was needed to meet the patrol car operating costs. Commissioner C. Ray Greene said that if the funds ran out in 1958-59, “We may have to take the cars off the road.” In other business at the meeting, Sheriff Dale Carson showed Commissioners a yellow raincoat that would be used by members of the County’s School Boy Patrol. The Jacksonville Insurers Association had agreed to provide 400 of the garments.
• The Rev. Joe H. Courson turned the first shovel of dirt at the groundbreaking for the Terry Parker Baptist Church on Merrill Road. He was joined by Mr. and Mrs. H. Terry Parker, who had donated $150,000 to the church building fund.
• Southside Methodist Church on Hendricks Ave. was burglarized and thieves made off with nine hams valued at $43.20 as well as $3 worth of cold drinks, a record player and an undetermined amount of cash. The Rev. J. E. Compton said the building was ransacked and a vending machine was broken open.
• McDuff Appliances was offering a free Remington automatic shotgun with the purchase of a home freezer. A 12 cubic-foot upright freezer was advertised for $4.70 per week.