Bradford County telegraph., 1906-06-29
Wlrh rEoNlDA EDITORS.
A FLORIDA SNIP CANAL.

uo"oc oWoTus Unc correspondent OF
Florida and an enterprise that would
have an important bearing ON the COM
merce Of the world has been given
tangible shape by the bill Of Congressman
Frank Clark providing for tho survey
Of a ship canal across this state from
the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of
Mexico, and providing an appropria.
ton therefor.
This matter has frequently been dis.
cussed and the practicability and great
utility Of such waterway is universal.
ly admitted. Should Mr.. Clark's bill,
which has been referred to the commit.
tee on railroads and canals, be given
favorable consideration, nc will have
done work of the first Importance not
only to Florida but to the whole coun.
try.-Lakeland News.
SENATOR MALLORY ON DRAINAGE OF
EVERGLADES.
The joint resolution with reference to
a government survey of the Florida
Everglades, reported to the senate
fsvorably by Senator Frazer for the
committee on agriculture and forestry,
as reported in the Congressional Rec.
ord, is as follows:
Resolved, etc., That the secretary of
agriculture be and he is hereby, author
lied and directed to cause a survey of
the Everglades of Florida to be made,
with a view to ascertaining and de-
termining the feasibility and probable
cost of reclaiming and draining said
Everglades for agricultural purposes,
and also to cause an examination of the
soil in said Everglades with view to
determining its quality and adaptability
and probable productiveness when re-
claimed and devoted to agricultural
purposes.
Sec. 2, That the sum of $4,000 he,
and is hereby, appropriated, out of any
money in the treasury not otherwise
appropriated, for the purpose of carry
ing out the requirements of this resolu-
ton, and that said sum of $4,000 or SO
much thereof as may be necessary, be
reserved from the sales Of public lands
in the state of Florida and paid into the
treasury of the United States in lieu Of
any portion Of the $4,000 hereby ap.
propriated for the purposes designated
by this resolution.
Sec. 8. That the secretary Of ag.
riculture report to congress at as early
q day as possible the result Of said sur.
veys, with such recommendations as he
may think proper to make.
Senator Mallory, after stating, in re.
ply to question by Senator Gallinger,
that the. estimated area of the Ever.
glades was about 2,00O, 900 acres, had
the following to say with reference to
the measure:
The measure does not propose that
the government shall drain it, but
simply to ascertain whether 1t is feast.
BILE for drainage. The Everglades are
subject to overflow from Lake Okeecho-
bee. Lake Okeechobee is large lake,
some 40 miles long and 40 miles wide.
II overfows annually and floods the
Everglades and makes them uninhabit.
able. Whether the lands are drainable
or can be reclaimed is mooted ques.
ton, and 1t has not been settled. The
authorities of the state of Florida have
been considering it for some time, and
they are contemplating making an effort
to drain them; but there really. has
been no survey made and nothing to de.
termine that the project is feasible.
| Senator Mallory said further, in
answer 10 a question propounded by
Senator Gallinger, that he did not he.
lieve an appropriation for the purpose
Of draining the Everglades would be
asked in event the government de.
termined that the project was feasible.
He expressed the opinion that ultimately
the lands would 90 to tho state Of
Florida, in fact would go to the state
now II they had been surveyed bat, Of
course, could not 60 to the state under
present circumstances. Mr.. Mallory
then continued:
Unfortunately We in Florida are stu
ated exactly in the opposite position
from what they are in the West. But
the principle is the same. We only pre-.
pose to use money received from the
sale Of public lands in the state OF Flori-
da for this purpose, not for the p0rpose
Of draining the land, but to ascertain
whether 1t Is drainable. II tho question
should come up hereafter, and the
government 10 asked to pay, the aenator
would possibly object to it.-Pensacola
Journal.
IN JUSTICE TO tom M'BEATH.