The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-03-30
EVERCLADK PLAN
OPPR-ESSES POOR.
Rich Corporations Owning Lands Near
Everglades viii Appeal to U.
S. cOurt and be Certain
Of Relief.

Of Relief.
The action of the drainage Board in
Tallahassee Thursday lin face of the
decision of the United States Court re-
straining the collection of the drainage
tax against the Southern States Land
and Timber Company in ordering the
tax collectors in the counties of Dade,
DeSoto, Lee, Osceola and St. Lucie to
collect the tax, has raised a storm of
protest, as it is considered an outra-
geous and arbitrary act, as it was gen.
orally considered the Southern States
Land and Timber Company's law suit
was a test case, and this action now of
the Drainage Board works great hard
ship on the poorer owners of the lands
affected.
MAJOR ST. CLAIR-ABRAMS VIEWS.
The following letter from the able
lawyer, Major st. Clair-Abrams, will
be read with interest all over the State,
1t is as follows:
Jacksonville, March "a, 1906
To the Editor of The Metropolis:
The action of the Drainage Board in
Tallahassee in refusing to suspend the
collection of the taxes in the drainage
district in South Florida until there has
been a final adjudication as to its legal
ity is so grossly unjust to numerous small
owners of lands embraced in the district
that | think the attention of the public
should be called to it.
AS the decision of the board is direct
~ to my peculiar interest as a lawyer l
cannot be charged with going into print
in the matter for my personal benefit.
POOR PEOPLE ONLY HURT.
The result of the order is that the
owners of large bodies of land have
now instructed their attorneys to file
bills to enjoin the collection Of the tax
or the sale of their lands for non-pay-
ment thereof This will leave at the
mercy of the tax collectors only those
small owners who are unable to afford
the expense. If the law should finally
be declared unconstitutional these small
taxpayers will have no relief save
through an appropriation by the Legis-
lature to refund them the money paid
and these are the very persons on whom
payment will work the greatest hard
ship.
/ have received so many applications
for advice on the subject from persons
in Dade and adjacent counties, and am
so busily employed at this time, that !
am unable to reply to each individual
separately, and must therefore, ask in
your columns to give general advice on
the subject.
Where the aggregate of this tax is
over 81, 900 the United States Courts
have Jurisdiction under the fourteenth
to the constitution Of the
United States.
Where the aggregate Of this tax is
less than 81, 600 the remedy must be in
the State courts, and should be by bill
in chancery to prevent multiplicity of
suits and clouds on the title to the land.
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE.
Every taxpayer Directing to this tax
(if he pays it, should pay It under pro-
test, and take witness Of the payment
under protest.
In reply to the numerous inquiries
made Of me, would suggest that the
small taxpayers should meet and COM
bine in opposition TO the tax, as by do
ing so it will cost them a great deal
less.
In cases where lands have been as
sessed which have already been drained
the owners Of such lands should also
unite and enjoin the collection Of this
tax
ALEX ST. CLAIR-ABRAMs.