The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-08-25
:: BROWARD- BEARD DEBATE =:

officer. received 1t from the Tax Collectors, and
that even then no money could be spent except
by the appropriation OF the Legislature which re.
quired the warrant OF the Comptroller, another
bonded officer to issue before the funds carried
by the appropriation were disbursed We have
he said, honorable gentlemen at present who are
Trustees. No one thinks that these men will be-
tray their trust, but we may not always be SO
fortunate, and under the proposed drainage
amendment 1t would be possible for designing
men to get themselves elected and squander the
peoples money. He said that the amendment
was loosely drawn; that 1t was unwise, undemo
which was to put proper safeguards and restric-
tons on public officers, and for these reasons it
should be voted down.
He said that the Trustees did not have suf-
cient data to 60 upon in the prosecution Of their
drainage plans; that Mr.. Keller had estimated
the cost to be ten million dollars. and that the
whole people would be taxed to raise this money
of which the railroads would get the benefit, and
that when the suits were ended and judgment
made the people would find themselves without
their lands and without their money too.
AS to Governor Br0wards proposition to sell
land to small parties and drain with the money
derived and to sell the lands thus drained to other
parties, and so on, Mr.. Beard said that that was
entirely impractical because the Trustees could
not give good t.le to the land in the face of the
legislative grants which were out for them and
that II Jim Smith or Bill Jones did buy lands from
the Trustees and 60 into possession of them that
as soon as the suits were decided the railroads
would eject them, and the State of Florida thus
find itself In the position Of taking peoples money
for lands which they could not deliver; and he
did not believe there would be many Jim Smiths
or Bill Joneses to buy the land as long as these
suits were pending and undetermined and likely
to vest In the railroads.
Replying to Mr.. Boards argument Governor
Broward said that he was not afraid Of the rail
roads getting the Everglades that these were
primary times and the judges who would decide
these questions were elected by the people. AS
to the contention of Mr. Beard tnat the railroads
would eject all small purchasers who bought
lands from the Trustees the Governor said that
the purchaser Of these lands would get his title
from the Trustees and that that was where the
railroads would have to 60 for theirs that 1t Is
written In nearly all Of the grants that the Trus
tees must agree before the grant is Of any effect;
that all grantees had recognized the power of the
trustees to decide as to whether or not the deed
should issue, because they were willing in the
past and ARE WILLING NOW to take whatever
the Trustees will give them. In asking for deeds
from the Trustees the grantees have not raised
the point OF priority but have waited patiently
while the Trustees were deciding lands under
grants later than theirs for the Trustees to come
back to them and deed them some II the rail-
roads 40 not have to go to the Trustees for title,
ana II they do not have to accept the decision OF
the Trustees as to what lands they shall have.
"--s NA"'S "OS SnO AuliIOduS 6OLtcu UuJ hiohu"
mus proceeding?
These legislative grants to railroads are for
lands somewhere on the earth, and are for
given number OF acres of the public lands which
HAVE NOT BEEN DISPOSED OF. II the Trus-
tees sell the lands to private parties and give
them deed, THESE PARTICULAR LANDS will
De disposed or and not subject to the grants even
II the courts should hold them to be valid. which,
ne said, was the very thing that he believed the
courts would never do
Answering more fully Mr. poordo contention
tnat there are no safeguards on the Trustees the
Governor repeated what he had said before about
the trustees having no more power than that OF
Tax Assessors and Town Councils, and added
tnat every check carrying L /. money had to be
signed by all the Trustees and that it would be
hard matter TO get fve men to agree to steal the
same amount at the same time.
referring to Mr.. Boards figures of ten million
doiiars Tor the cost of the work Governor Brow
ara read part of the report of J. M Kramer to
the canal company that employed him, in which
ne put the cost OF constructing canals similar and
ioentlcal In size to those proposed by the Trus
HIM woA Hi az.