The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-06-29
FOR A GOVERNhENT SUNNY.

Closely following the introduction in
the House of Congressman Clark's bill
to divert a portion Of the funds hereto
fore devoted to the reclamation Of arid
lands in the West to the purpose of
drainage in the Everglades, Senator
Mallory offered resolution providing
for government survey of that region,
in the words following:
Resolved by the Senate and House of
Representatives of the United States
of America, in Congress ASSEMBLED,
That the Secretary of Agriculture be,
and he is hereby authorized and directed
to cause a survey of the Everglades of
Florida to be made, with a view to as
pertaining and determining the feast
bility and probable cost of reclaiming
and draining said Everglades for agri-
cultural purposes, and also to cause an
examination of the soil in said Ever
glades with a view to determining its
quality and adaptability and probable
productiveness when reclaimed and de-
voted to agricultural purposes
Sec. 2. That the sum of ten thousand
dollars be, and is hereby appropriated
out of any money in the treasury not
otherwise appropriated, for the purpose
of carrying out the requirements of this
resolution, and that said sum of ten
thousand dollars, 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 ten thousand dollars hereby APP
propriated for the purposes designated
by this resolution.
Sec. 3. That the Secretary of Agri-
culture at as early day as possible re-
port the result of said surveys, with
such recommendation as he may think
proper to make.
In the preliminary consideration of
his resolution Senator Mallory said:
This measure does not propose that
the government shall drain it, but sim
ply to ascertain whether it is feasible !
for drainage. The Everglades are sub
ject to overflow from Lake Okeechobee !
Lake Okeechobee is a large lake, some
forty miles long and forty miles wide. |
II overflows annually and floods the
Everglades and makes them uninhabit-
able Whether the lands are drainable
Or can be reclaimed is a mooted ques-
ton, and it has not been settled The
authorities of the State of Florida have
been considering it for some time, and
hey are contemplating making an eff
Tort to drain them; but there really
1as been no survey made and nothing
% determine that the project is feast
Die.
The resolution was opposed by several
Senator's, and was placed on the calendar
% be further considered in its order.
During the brief debate the fact was
disclosed that Senator Hansbrough, of
North Dakota, had previously intro
luced a bill for the drainage of one
million acres Of overhowed lands in that
State.
Senator Mallory, in his remarks
quoted above from the Congressional
Record, struck the keynote of the pres
mt situation, viz: that there has really
'een no adequate and authoritative and
etailed survey made of the region in
which the Drainage Board was proceed
ng to operate. A tentative preliminary
urvey which had been made by Assist.
mt Engineer Keller, Of the Disston
company. demonstrated the fact with
certainty that the particular
ection of drainage work for the begin
ing of which the board had constructed
redges at Fort Lauderdale would cost
like two and one-half million
ollars The board either knew this,
nd recklessly began the gigantic en-
erprise with a fund Of less than SlOO,.
O0 Gts right 10 the use of which was
t least doubtfuD, 1T was proceeding,
ute as recklessly. IN utter ignorance
the existing conditions - in either
ase pursuing a course the exact oppo-
tie Of that which would have been
dopted by any rational and reasonable
usness man or group Of men. II was
quivalent 10 commencing work on the
'anama canal after some one had
lerely ridden over the proposed route.
If, therefore. II was ridiculous for the
Drainage Board to thus plunge into an
nterprise Of such magnitude without
ny preparation whatever, would it not
e the height of folly for the people Of
'lorida, by voting for the ratification
+ the Drainage Amendment, TO place
the hands of such a board the unre-