The weekly true Democrat., 1906-07-06
AN EXPLANATION M ORDER.

it states that one Joseph Jennings had
sold to rim by this board recently &c.
$50 acres Of State land in Monroe
county at 4la cents per acre; that he
Immediately transferred it to parties
for whom he bought (the Palgrove
Company, New Jersey corporation) for
81 per acre, making thereby a clear
profit of $34, 98S. a. A correspondent
from Key West informs the True Dem
ocrat that offers by citizens of that
town for practically this State land at
Sl.25 per acre were turned down. The
same writer calls attention to the fact
that by resolutions Of this same Inter
yal Improvement Board, at meeting
held Feb. is, 1898, ALL lands granted
by the State Of Florida south Of town
ship SO, situated on the mainland of
Florida, ARE hereby reserved for the
benefit Of the Florida East Coast Rail-
way Company which action, as con-
tract, is recorded IN the clerks Office in
Monroe county
This is direct charge, and the adj
ministration MUST ANSWER Lake City
Index
They have attempted to explain, or
rather to justify their action, by citing
precedents for cheap sales during for
mer years, going so far back as the
BloXham-Disston sale of many years
ago, when there Uus necessity for
the funds secured from Mr.. Disston,
from the fact that the assets of the
board were 50 tied up that not one acre
could be disposed Of in any manner un-
til arrangements had been made for the
wiping out Of those pressing obligations
These facts the people Of Florida are
familiar with, and 50 also is each mem
ber Of the Internal Improvement Board
headed by Napoleon Bonaparte Brow
ard, the great O..
OF course, Section 432 of the Re-
vised Statutes vests in the Trustees of
the Internal Improvement Fund SOLE
POWER to FIX the price of lands No
one disputes that fact But there be
those ot Us who do blame them for SELL
ing those lands for a song at this time,
when there is not the least necessity
for it, except, perhaps, the pressing
need Of the drainage board" for cash
with which 70 conduct their operations,
since they had to abandon the acreage
tax assessment, and were also held up
by some recent court injunctions, which
they do not now dare disregard, even
if they were bold and brazen enough to
the resolution of their prede-
cessors withdrawing from the market
the very lands they sold 20 Mr. Jen-
nngs and setting them aside as the
property of the East Coast Railway
Company resolution of Feb Is, 1899
In MS interview, in answer to ques-
tions land suggestips) propounded,
Governor Broward said:
Sec. +32 Of the Revised Statutes
vests in the Trustees of the Internal
Improvement Fund SOLE POWER TO FIX /
THE PRICE OF LANDS. Ever since the |
trust. was created it has been the prac-
tice, which, by the way, has never be- |
fore been criticised, to sell land 70 any
individual who offered what the trustees
considered fair price for lands located
By him.
ALL THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN |
IsED RY THE TRUSTEES WAS DERIVED .
Is THIS MANNER.
The first sale of any moment was |
hat made by Governor Bloxham, dur /
rg his first administration, to the Diss- /
.Ons. at which 1000. 900 acres of land .
we're sold for 1000, 900 Since that
lime various tracts have been sold 20
'ariOus parties by the different admin
stratlons. There NEVER HAS BEES a
'yBLIC OFFERING OF THESE LANDS.
The highest price ever paid for
and, Gnder the control Of the Trustees
vaS that paid during the Jennings ad-
at which sale los. 600 acres
# land were decided for 1924. 600. This
ana, with the exception Of 81, 600 acres
II swamp land, was well-selected tim
'ercd land and WAS not EVERGLApE
AND.
There never has been a public offer
ug of these lands, " but why should
her" not he, Mr. Governor, if by max
ng the fact public you could get a bet
or and "a higher price, and at the same
ime let the people, .wtcsc serranis you
r' ali suppos,i 10 he, know something
bout what you are all doing before
hose cheap-land- transactions are
erpetrated upon the people. You are
lightly differed with, too, when you
tate that "never before have the trus-
ees been criticised for selling to any
H. L 4