The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-10-26
DANCER THREATENS
ALL INTERESTS
Keep the Lands fer Schools Would
Be Dangerous q Give Beard
Powers Proposed


proposed draining amendment appears
in this weeks issue of the Industrial
Record, of which j. A. Hollomon is ed
itor-in-chief The Record is the official
organ of the Turpentine Operators As
sociation and Mr.. HOllomon addresses
this argument particularly to the larger
land owners, but the article should be
read by every voter in Florida who is
the owner of real estate. The Record
editorial follows:
Although the Industrial Record has
never taken any part in the politics Of
the State, and has never in any way al
lied itself to either one of our political
factions, still we feel sure that owing
to the Importance of the proposed drain
age amendment to our State Constitu-
ton, and the effect this amendment
will have upon the timber and land in
dustries of our State and because Of
the further fact that great number OF
our subscribers are among these peo-
pie, we think it is our duty to say what
effect we think the passage Of this
amendment would have on those of our
people engaged in these large and grow
ing Industries of our State.
Before voting on the amendment, it
ia of the utmost Importance that every
voter, and especially those who are in
terested in the timber, turpentine or
land industries, and in fact every per-
son who owns or is in any way interest
ed in, foot Of land in the State of
Florida, should study the proposed
amendment carefully, and consider for
himself just how it Is going to affect
us. Do not let anyone fool you into
voting for this amendment by telling
you that some other mans land is go
ing to be taxed to benefit yours; this is
not true. When you vote for this
amendment, you vote to burden your
own land with an unknown tax, and for
an unknown length of time.
What does this proposed amendment
provide? 1t, briefly stated, provides:
that the governor, the comptroller, the
attorney-general, the state treasurer
and the commissioner of agriculture
shall be created a board Of drainage
commissioners, and it gives these five
men power to lay the State off in
drainage districts, and to levy tax Of
ten cents per acre on all lands included
within any drainage districts, for the
purpose of building canals, levees, dikes
and reservoirs for the purpose of drain
age, irrigation and commerce. 1t furth-
er gives the commissioners power, in
addition to the tax of ten cents per acre
to levy a tax to pay for any work the
present board of drainage commission
ers might have done court, And this is
not all. The proposed amendment, I'M
der authority of an act of the Legisla-
ture of 1905, although that act of the
Legislature has been declared uncon-
stitutional by the United States court;
and this is not all. The proposed amend
ment provides that the Legislature may
provide for the levy and collection of a
special benefit tax, to be levied and col
lected from any lands which may be
benefited by drainage. Now what does
this meant 1t just means this: You
may own tract of land in any county
in the State Of Florida, your county is
made a drainage district, and the tax
of ten cents per acre is levied on your
land and collected from you by the
drainage commissioners; now let US sup
pose your land receives q benefit from
any work done by the commissioners,
have you not already been once taxed
already to pay for that benefit? Ger
tainly you have, and it cannot be right
that your land should be subjected to a
second tax; still under the provisions of
ture may step in and provide for a
special benefit tax to be collected out
of your land, to pay for a benefit for
which you have already been once taxed
and this special tax may be 81 per acre,
or IL may be IS per acre, according to |
the benefit it is decided your land has
Afeceived. Ask yourself the question,
can this be right? Il
Now let us consider the effect of all
this taxation upon the timber and land
interests of our State. Suppose you
own a tract of land in Duval or Putnam |
county, and this amendment passes,
and your county is made drainage dis !
trict, and you want TO sell your land, |
who is going to buy from you when it |
is subjected to this heavy tax? Sup |
pose you are engaged in the turpentine |
business and yau own large tract Of
land, and after you have exhausted
the timber for turpentine purposes you |
want to sell the land. Under the pres |
ent conditions in our State you would |
have no trouble in doing this, but sup |
pose you saddle this unheard of tax |
upon your land, who would then dare |
buy it of you? Or again, suppose you |
own q saw mill, and in connection with
your mill you own tract Of timber
land, after you have cut the timber
from the land you try to sell the land, |
who IL going to buy it from you II il is
subjected to this heavy tax! Or you |
....sr ..oxsy o,.oaoa IN Y-atainr cattle ond Il