The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-12-08
SALES
BEFORE COMMITTEE
Charged That Fifty Thousa nd Persons Have Been Vic
tmized-Department Of Agriculture Involved In
5s the Accusations.
By JuDsoN c. ,,ELIrvER.

Charges that the State OF Florida has
loaned Its name and credit to one of
the biggest land swindles In history;
that the Department Of Agriculture has,
by suppression Of information about the
Everglades, aided and abetted, and that
$1,000 persons In all parts of the country
have been victimized-these and other
exceeding disagreeable allegations are
to be looked into just as soon as pos
sible by the House Committee on Elk
penditures in the Department Of Agri-
culture.
The Florida situation, first brought
before the public through the efforts OF
The Washington Times, is becoming an
anair Of greatest national interest.
A short time ago the trustees for
12,0oo buyers of Everglades land from
the Florida Fruit Land Company start
ed suit to prevent that company dis
trtbuting moneys 1t had gathered in
from buyers, until its agreements az to
drainage and Improvement OF the lands
should be executed. An injunction was
granted. and when the matter comes to
trial 1t IL expected to bare the whole
Florida real estate movement Of recent
years and bring out the facts as to
whether Everglades lands are one Of
The greatest investments in the country
or tremendous swipdle.
Scale of Operations. r..
This suit indicates the immense scale
on which the Florida operations have
been conducted. The Florida Fruit Land
Company was organized by ]. B. Bodies,
who a few years ago bought a million
acres of Everglades lands from Florida,
and then transferred 10000 acres to
this company. 1t Is alleged that the
10000 acres were sold at such figures
that Bolles' company got for them $780,
600 more than he paid for the entire
million acres. Even this, however, Is
moderate compared to the prices that
have been placed on the lands by the
people all over the country.
The matters which are expected to be
looked into by the House committee
relate to the part which the Agricul-
to have played. Here the investigator
finds an irrepressible conflict Of opinion
and interest. Both sides have been ac-
cusing the department. The land boom
ers and agents have been charging II
with suppressing the famous Wright re-
port, favorable to the drainage project
and generally. .eulogistic Of the Ever
glades lands. The other side declares
Just as vehementiy that the depart
me, msnt IN, has suppressed valuable informa ,.
Of the country against buying these
lands and saved millions to thousands
OF investors.
In its recent investigations Of these
Times developed that nothing less than
3 searching official inquiry could pos
sibly get at the final merits. Major J.
o. Wright. while an engineering officer
Of the Department of Agriculture, was
assigned to investigate the Everglades.
highly favorable to the project. was not
published. 1t became the subject of
factional and political controversy In
Florida. One side wanted It published
tary Wilson, confronted by this quarrel.
declined to publish II. Instead Charles
@. Elliott chief Of the drainage idivi-
sion Of the department. published
"knook" on the Everglades proposition.
But this little circular was made the
subject Of bitter protests, and 1t. too,
In time Is alleged to have been sup
pressed. So the department is being cri-
the Wright report favorable to the Ever
glades and from the other for suppress
ing the Elliott circular. unfavorable to
them.
Two Accusations.
Near the close of the last session Of
Congress. Senator Fletcher Of Florida,
procured the passage by the Senate Of
a resolution commanding that the
Wright report be published as Sem
ate document. That has been done, but
now two accusations are made in con-
nection with the document. One Is that,
before 1t was issued. 1t was edited by
the DeDa ri Inent of Agriculture poonlo
and various things cut out that ought
to have been left in to make It fairly
representative of conditions These ed
itorial omissions, 1t Is claimed. were Of
not altogether friendly to
the old drainage project, SO that when