The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-02-17
The Everglades
Drainage Scheme.

The recent report Of the Board Of
Trustees Of the Internal improvement
Fund upon the reclamation of the
Everglades Is dissected and rather
cAustically criticised by The St. Au-
EUstine Record, which has the follow
1ng to say upon the subject in a recent
-ssue:
Yielding, apparently, 70 a popular
demand for information concerning its
transactions, the Board of Trustees
Of the Internal Improvement Fund mas
departed from its previous custom Of
making an abbreviated and purely per-
fUnctory report every Two years. and
has made public a statement pUrport-
ING to give in detail an account of its
proceedings for the calendar year
1905. Il is, in fact, an apparent pur-
pose, a special plea in support Of the
attitude Of The board. acting in the
capacity of the board of drainage COM
JnissiOners authorized under an act Of
she last legislature, with special ref
erence 10 the Everglades drainage
scheme.
With a fine show Of candor. the
board gives the statistics of the
swamp and Overi0wed' lana fund
and the proceeds OF sales Of suca
lands, showing that there are on hand.
2.9SO,239.46 acres OF said land. and.
S272. 272.35, net cash proceeds of the.
sales Of such lands, deposited in and
drawing interest from certain banks
throughout the state, naming them. to-
geJher with a list Of securities Of var
Ions kinds deposited in the state treas
uTy 10 secure said several deposits
Tire schedule Of disbursements from
the fund Tor the year shows an az
EreEste OF $50 ,5S5.2S. q which S4S.-'
445.65 has been expended in drainage
operations TO drain the Everglades. - J
and nearly S12, 900 for attorneys fees. (
Strangely enough, this apparently
full and candid statement of the oper-
atoms Of the board and the lesisla-
lion affecting the fund, contains no
mention Of the act Of 1903 Cchapteri
5245) which declares that ali moneys
now IN the Internal Improvement
FUND as well as the proceeds Of all
the lands thereafter to be sold. shall
be placed with the state treasurer whof
shall thersupon place the same TO the
credit of the several counties Of the
state. for the purpose of
constructing hard roads in such coun.
ties"
The report complains rather bitter
" or the interruption OF drainage oper-
stiOns by the recent iniunctions is
sued from the United States court.
This litigation is proceeding with con-
siderable vigor. and a large number
OF afidavits have been fled tending
10 disclose the real status and posi-
biities Of the BrOward drainage scheme
One Of these. by Civil Engineer Chris
TOPPER Mailing, an expert Of worldwide
fame, sets forth the manifest impossi-
billy Of securing practical and valu-
able results therefOrm, AMI demon
strating the fact that the lowering
o. the water level Of Lake OkeechO-
bee four feet requiring a main canal
l5o feet wide and fifty miles in length.
with lateral drains, would ineffectively|
reclaim only a small area Of the
Tast region now covered or partially
severed by water throughout a large
part Of each wear.
IL is an exceedingly interesting PROMO
rtion which cOnfronts the board
HSve these officials the right under
existing laws 10 use the moneys oftheI
und for the drainage Of the Ever
glades. or are they bound. by the act
v 1903 Csside from any issue arising
p the litigation referred tor 10 dis
ribute the moneys on hand. and the
proceeds Of future sales, among the
'ounties for the construction OF hard
'oads? And will not the several coun-i ,
ies. or some Of them, or the State
GOOD ROsds Association. be disposed
o tsl1e a hand in the pending litiga-
Ion 10 protect their vested interest ,
= such funds under the law?
The Chipley Banner has been en-