The Ocala banner., 1906-11-02
JENNINGS REPLIES TO
FLEMING

friend Hon. K. r. Fleming. IL is
gratifying to note the high plane up
on which he discusses the proposed
amendment to the constitution
which, agree with him, is one of the
most important questions that has
been submitted to the electors to
pass upon in many years, and further
agree that it is of so much impor-
tance that it should not be considered
from the standard of factional poll
tics, or how it may effect the political
statu of any official individual, but
only that of interest to the people of
the state. He writes that he is op-
posd to the amendment for the rea-
son
81. do not think the Everglades
can be drained so as to become avail
able for cultivation without the ex-
penditure of large sum of money
that it is practicable for the state to
raise without the serious oppression
of large number of her citizens"
am not sure that can gather his
meaning of this objection. Considering
it in the light of the proposed amend
ment, it is inapplicable for the rea-
son that the state is not called upon
under the proposed constitutional
amendment to raise a large sum of
money, or any money, on the state
or on the taxaD.e property Of the
state to be expended in tn drainage
Of the Everglades.
To my mind the serious oppress
ion" referred to could only be applied,
If at all, not to a large number of
her citizens" but about in the follow
ing proportions, according to the
land owned in the drainage district:
Acres.
Southern States Land &
Timber Co., of Louis
lana, ). :. 81. 1.0zo,257.2O
Empire Land Co., Of
New Jersey, =. -. :. =. 74S,251.24
Mississippi Valley Reality
Co.. of Mississippi, 1S7.2O1.o2
Consolidated Land Co., of
Florida, /. !. sOe,s5s.so
Frank @. Brown trustee.
of New York, Railroad
Land Grants, :. -. 1O2,sss.15
Florida Cypress Co., Of
Michigan, Ss.s4O.oO
Florida East Coast Rail-
way, of Florida, . :. :. 15O,vov.00
Model Land Co., Of Flor
ida. !. !. \. : 127.sss.oO
Land Company. of Bos-
ton. !. 5s.o5o.sO
Total acreage Of the nine
holders in the drainage
district. !. ). . ). :. 1886. .46O.51
Lake Okcechobee and
other waterways. ]. !. 7Oo.oOO.oo
Owned by the Trustees
and the Internal I'M
provement Fund and the
State School Board, :. 5000, 100000
The remainder of the ter
ritory, which embraces
the high lands and the
lands owned by other cit
liens and corporations, 64,540.00
The individual land owners in the
district have generally paid their tar
and have petitioned the people OF
Florida, which petition has been
signed by the citizens in that terri
tory, begging them for relief and tc
support the adoption of the proposed
constitutional amendment. Then the
question arises that il the citizens
living In the territory, filed v-'.'- -
riotism and hope. struggling to estab
lish themselves and who undergo the
hardships of pioneer life to bring in
to value territory of waste lands on
ly inhabitated by the sayages. are
pleading with the state and its au
thorities, and begging the voters by
signed petition, to come to their re
lief, who are the large number oi
her citizens" who will be seriously
oppressed?" The answer must be
six foreign corporations and three
home corporations.
His second reason is:
80 1t is not the part of wisdom tc
spend money on drainage while the
very lands sought to be drained are
in litigation. claimed by various com
panies under legislative land grants
Many lawyers are of the opinion thai
by yesting the legal title of the cwamp
lands In the Internal Improvement
Board the Legislature did not invest
itself of the power of further controll
ing the disposition of the lands
Whether or not this opinion is sound
1t is better to suspend operations un,
til the courts have finally decided"
To the first portion of this OBJ,
lection, would rather like to answer
by asking what is unwise about using
the lands that were granted to this
state, or the proceeds arising from
the sale thereof, in the language OF
the acts of congress of Septeuh~- 90
1850. for the purpose Of carrying in
to effect that act: and further, what
effect the question of litigation has on
the subject of drainage under the pro
posed constitutional amendment. I'm
der this amendment 1t is immaterial
as to the ownership of the lands. The