The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-02-08
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT FUND.

ut.
AS a citizen of Florida, and interested
in its welfare and the improvement of
the public roads, | have been somewhat
puzzled, as well as aStonished at the
position taken by many people with
reference to the lands and funds be-
longing to the Internal Improvement
Fund. How there can be any misun-
derstanding of the proposition am un-
able to see. In the first place, the land
was granted to the State for internal
Improvement purposes, and large bod
les pf~thA land has been given by the
legislature to be used in building rail-
roads I; but there is yet large amount
claimed by the Trustees of the Internal
Improvement Fund for the benefit of
State. The question Is, what should be
done with these lands, and what should
be done with the funds now in the
hands Of the trustees, or that were in
their hands in April, 1903? After read
ing sections l, 2, 3, chapter 5245, of the
acts of 1908, and sections 800, $40 and
81 of the General Statutes of the State
Of Florida l906--there would seem to be
no question for cavil. The whole mat
ter seems to be settled and il now EN-.
bodied in law by the law making power
of the State---the legislature. which
law was approved by Governor w. s.
Jennings in 1903 This law provides
"All moneys now in the Internal I'm
provement Fund, after the payment of
the legal obligations against the said
moneys shall be placed by the Trustees
of the Internal Improvement Fund with
the State Treasurer, who shall there
upon place the same to the credit Of
the several counties Of the State accord
ing to the assessed. valuation Of the
property in the several counties at the
time Of the transfer, for the purpose of
constructing hard roads In such coun-
ty."
Can there be any question as to where
this money belongs which was in the
hands Of the Trustees Of the Internal
Improvement Fund in April, 1903, when
this act was passed Rnd approved?
Section $40 Of the General Statutes Of
the State of Florida provides: IAN
lands granted TO the State of Florida
by the United States under the act of
Congress Of 1850, known as the, Swamp
Overlooked Act, for internal improve.
ment, shall be sold by the Trustees of
the Internal Improvement Fund at such
times and under such conditions as said
Trustees may determine the proceeds
therefrom shall be by them deposited
with the State Treasurer, and by HIM
placed to the credit of the said county
road fund. az provided in the foregoing
section Provided, that nothing herein
shall be so construed az to prevent the
payment in lands By the said Trustees
of the Internal Improvement Fund Of
all legal obligations now existing
against said Fund " Can there be- any
question as TO where this land belongs
or that II belongs to the people Of the /.
different counties FOR the purpose Of |
building public roads Governor Jen-
nings approved this act. and II it was
not good law he should have vetoed /.
it Section S7l Of the General Statutes
of the State Of Florida provides
IAN moneys appropriated to the sey-
eral counties by the preceding sections
should be- paid To the treasurer Of each /
county upon reIuisition by the county ,
commissioners Of said cnunty, condi- /
TONED upon It's bcIlg used exclusively .
for the building ana constructing d sys-
tenn Of hard macaLiamized or other hard .
surfaced roads; said requisitiOn shall he
by said certificate under
seal of the clerk Of the circuit court
that the county commissioners make
such application solely for the purpose
of building hard, macadamized or other
hard-surfaced roads" Why is il in the
face Of this law. which is now in force,
that in all the counties Of the State
they are struggling TO levy hugh taxes
for the purpose Of b0iklinR haud-sur-
faced roads. while the money under the
Aboye-QDoted act IL not forthcomfA 4
hut h being eypslded In digging bitches
10 the Eyerglsdesf With wtNnh be
Df tha n,0st aavangage,to the State. %
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