The Ocala banner., 1906-10-19

Tampa on his journey northward. He
said that the annals state that quite
pretentious Indian village was
found about a hundred miles north
of the Hillsborough bay and it was
called Ocala, which translated into
English means rich or fertile land.
He complimented Ocala on her evil
dence of progress and told about his
efforts In securing the appropriation
for our government building and the
pleasure it gave him to do so.
Congressman Sparkman made a
very happy speech, which was listen
ed to attentively and was much ap-
preciated.
Mayor McConathy then stated
that the great debate on
.he drainage of the Ever
glades would take place and that
Governor Broward would speak first,
occupying one hour to be followed
by Mr.. Beard in speech of an hour
and half and the governor would
close the debate in a speech of thir-
|ty minutes.
Mayor McConathy then introduced
Gov. Broward, who was welcomed
with loud and hearty applause.
Mr.. Broward said that as he was
limited In his remarks he would pro-
ceed without any circumlocution to
the core of the matter. He said
that these lands had been decided to
the state of Florida by the general
government for the purpose of drain
age and reclamation. That the most
OF these lands had been given away
by the different legislatures to var
ious railways and other corporations
but that he had succeeded, as he had
promised when making his canvass
for governor, In rescuing some of
these lands for the people and that
the work of draining them was now
in progress. He said that he was do
AAAS thio MI " Skotily uio OWu dlu-
bition but to do something for the
good of the people who had elevated
HIM to the Office of governor of the
state. He read an official document
showing that the very first resolu-
tion introduced in the first legisla
ture after Florida had been admitted
into the Union, was about about
draining the Everglades and this res
olution prayed the general govern
ment to have the same surveyed
looking to the final drainage and re
clamation. That it had been live
question from that day to this and
the only way to determine whether
or not these lands could be drained
and reclaimed was to make the ef-
fort, which he was now doing, having
been commissioned to do so by
majority of the votes of the people
of the state.
He then told of the dredge, which
was now at work and the one that
will soon be at work, the length and
depth of the canals he proposed tc
dig and the length of time it would
take to complete the work. He said
that these were valuable lands and
that they were now only assessed at
twenty-five cents an acre but when
drained would be worth as many dol
lars per acre and as the owners of
these lands would be the beneficiaries
of the drainage he thought 1t was
only fair that they should pay the
tax. That Lake Okeechobee. which
causes the overflow of these lands,
and is the key to the situation is more
than 21 feet higher than the sea and
that the lowering of this lake was
the easiest big job that was ever un-
dertaken.
The governor covered his full hour
and punctuated his remarks with
several anecdotes and altogether his
speech. judging from the applause
he received, fell on willing ears.
Hon. John 8. Beard was next In
troduced by Mayor McConathy.
Mr.. Beard is gentleman of refin-
ed features and commanding appear
ance and he was also received with
a fill measure of applause.
He conceded. for the sake of argu-
ment, that the drainage of the Ey-
erglades was feasible and practica.
BILE and the lands were as rich as
claimed for them by Governor Brow
ard.
He addressed himself almost en-
tirely to the legal aspect of the ques
ton, claiming that the lands were in
litigation and had been ceded, wheth-
er rightfully or wrongly, by
the past legislatures to var
rious railways and other corpora
tions. He opposed the policy of drain
ing these lands at the cost of several
millions Of dollars to the people of
Florida until the titles to them were
decided by the courts. which would