The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1909-04-09


ipags 81 this communication.
PUBLIC bEBI
ei27al7l8 Annually Paid ~ &c eain r ceavietng
C1iminais-PaFf 81 Funds Arising fron Lease % Con-
vieia TO 60 20 re State e 81 used as sipkng Kend
and Part to Be Appropriated ~ the Hospital ~ tie
Insane
The public debt Of the State consists solely 81 refund
bonds amounting TO 1904 5o5 bearing Interest e te le
Of go per annum They all held ~ TIE State Board
Of Education. The money from the hire o State cOuyie
Zee Chap 51be Acts Of 1qo3l g appoFioned 70 1he
counties Ia proportion to the asaeaed galuaton o. tie
same During 1908 the State paid for the salaries Of s
prosecuting attorneys $4,000; for Witnesses and Jurors
SS07O305 The State also paid during 1903 for salaries
Of judicial officers exclusive Of Blae Attorneys 100000
for travelling expenses Circuit Judges e2O6i78; for
peises Of Judgs ~ other circuits e2t70 making total
Of R42Os646 fully half Of this expense account
Of criminal prosecution Adding this hail. s20l32S to
91O630395 makes grand total Of 9l27 S471S spent by
the State on account Of criminal prosecutions It r.
recommended that at least $4,000 Of this amount Be
annually appropriated from the proceeds from the lease
Of State cOnvcts TO be used sinking fund for the
payment Of these bonds; that the remainder Of this
amount $50 3l7S much thereof as may Be deemed
proper be appropriated toward the support and mante
Of the Hospital for the Insane Although the debt
Of the State s held BY the State Board Of Education yet
Il should be paid The Board Of Education could invest
adyantageOusy 10 the bonds OF other States or II deemed
advantageous, in bonds Of Florida counties.
DISPOSAL OF TIMBER IN NAVIGABLE STREAMS.
There is some timber in the State mostly tmbeFed with
cypress growing in naygabe waters This is owned by
the State by right Of sovereignty. There Is authority
for the disposition Of any Of this timber It s recon-
mended that law be passed. AUTHORIZING the Governor
with the advice Of the Board Of Commissioners Of State
Institutions to dispose Of any all Of such timber.
STATE TROOPS.
Appropriation for Expenses Of Calling Out State Troops
The Troops Are Of Inestimable Value to the State.
During the first two months Of my administration It
became necessary call out some Of the State Troops
contingent fund to beused IN defrayng the expenses
incident to such service Is recommended The fact
of there being such WeOrganized body Of State Troops
Is Of inestmabIe value to the State in preventing riots
They fail to leave their civil duties to calls
In Suppresaing riots
DRAINAGE TAX
Drainage Tax OF Cents an Acre BHrdensOme-
to 3 Cents-Refund OF DraiAage Taxes Collected for
19O6-Litgation Over Drainage Act Of 1907.
The drainage tax is now Ave cents per acre in addition
to the regular taxes levied upon the This s burden
Owing to funds arising from various Sales the tax
Of much Eve cents acre ID no longer required
The Governor should be authorized upon the advice and
consent Of the Drainage Board TO reduce the when
ever deemed expedient As this change may result in
lawsuit owing to the claim that the Drainage Board was
using legislative powers would be preferable to redure
the tax from Ave to three cents per acre
Had the Drainage Tax Of Eve cents been col.
ected for 1908 would have amounted TO 25 O5 All
three cents this would represent $l2b The
Drainage Act passed by the Legislature Of 1905 was de
cared unconstitutional In the United States Court for
the Southern District Of Florida The amount Of The
Drainage Tax collected for the year 1905 amounted to
SO57 No Drainage Tax was levied for the year 1906
II Is recommended that law be passed appropriatng
this amount Of money with which to refund to the
pectve taxpayers this amount collected The cOnstitu
tonaity Of the Drainage Act Of 1907 questioned IN
the United States Court for the Southern District OF
Florida On the 9th DAY OF june 1908 the Judge de
cared In favor Of the consutonalIty Of the tax The
appealed to the United States Circuit Court
sitting at New Orleans The cOnstitutionality Of the Act
declared in the affirmative February 23rd 1902 One
Of the three Judges dissented.
My information In that the appellants endeavorng
to appeal The to the Eapreme Court Of the United
States Should the parties to the suit Withdraw their
nur.nal nnd ncrnA Animation. .na.la