The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-07
THE FLORIDA
EVERGLADES
INVESTIGATION
Charged That the Govern
ment Has Connived With
Land Promoters
REPORTS OF DR|nACE BUREAU
HAVE Been SUPPRESSED
Engineer Threatened by Agents of the
Land Promoters Unless He aid
Revise q Circular Letter to the
Public.

Washington, Feb. 7.-Another in
vestigation Of the department of agri-
culture involving orders of Secretary
Wilson and Solicitor McCabe, similar
IN many respects to the recently con-
cluded McCabe-Wiley controversy but
which embraces charges Of suppressed
reports and influence Of land specula-
tors over government officials. is to be
instituted by the house committee on
expenditures in the agricultural de-
partnent.
circumstances. smoldering for
months, relating to exploitation Of
Florida everglade lands, millions of
acres OF which have been sold
throughout the country by syndicates
IN the past few years, hurst into a
flame before the committee today, fol-
lowing the summary dismissal from
government service by Secretary Will
son last Saturday Of c. q. Elliott,
chief engineer Of the drainage division
OF the department. and assistant en-
gineer A. d. Morehouse, and the sus-
pension OF F. E. Singleton. an ac-
countant. on technical charge of
transferepce Of public funds.
Representative Frank Clark of
Florida and F.. R. Bathrick Of Ohio,
who have instigated the Investigation,
charged before the congressional COM
partment Of agriculture had been In
nuenced by Florida everglade land
promoters In the suppression Of a re-
port on the condition Of the lands
made by the drainage department:
that chief engineer Elliott was threat
ened by agents Of the land promoters
unless he would revise a circular let
ter to the public which did not con-
tain hudatory references to the lands
tney we're selling. and that upon his
refusal. the circular and subequent
fuller report were suppressed by the
order OF Secretary Wilson. and that
later Engineers Elliott and Morehouse
were removed from office.
Solicitor McCabe who was called
before the house committee, of which
Representative Moss of Indiana is
chairman, denied today that the dis
missal Of tho department ofilcials was
IN any way caused by the Florida land
case and declared that the action was
| taken following charges that the dis
missed men had misapplied funds. All
the papers relating to this feature Of
the case he turned over to the depart.
ment of justice for possible prosecu-
tions.
1t is charged by Representative
Clark that Elliott, was assured that
there would be no prosecution Of the
charse against him. il he would
keep stilr about the actions in the
department on the Florida Land in
vestigation. Representatives Clark
and Bathrtck asserted today that they
would show before the committee that
the order dismissing the men did not
come from Secretary Wilson until aft
or 1t had become certain that the
house committee was planning to
make an inquiry and Representative
Bathrick had appeared before the
committee in executive session last
Saturday. A few hours later the let
ters We're issued dismissing the two
drainage officials and suspending
Singleton.
The charges involving the dismissed
men were reported to have been made
to Solicitor McCabe recently by ]. u.
Wright, former subordinate of Ell
lott, but at present chief engineer Of
the board of trustees of the internal
Improvement fund of the state Of
Florida Wright made a favora BILE re-
port upon the everglade lands. and
soon afterward resigned from office to
enter the employ of the state Of
Florida.
Representative Clark said today
that Secretary Wilson would be sum-
moned as witness and that he would
be asked concerning an interview he
ildo Will tue rlOrlOd representative
some time ago in which the secretary
is said to have admitted that he had
suppressed the report on the ever
glade lands. MIR. Clark charges this
was done at the request of the land
companies. He said that together
with four Florida citizens he called
on Secretary Wilson to ask why the
report was suppressed. One Of these
men was w. R. Hardee Of Jensen,
Florida. who recently made a state.
ment that Secretary Wilson said:
II am not running this Office for the
protection Of fools who do not know
any better than to buy something that
they never saw and do not know any.
thing about"
This statement Mr.. Hardee declared
Secretary Wilson made to Mr.. Clark,
himself and to others when they visit
ed him. Hardee also will be summon
ed before the house committee as a
witness.
Before the house committee today
Representative Clark outlined the
charges stating that In 1907 the de-
partment Of agriculture was flooded
with requests from people through
out the country regarding tho condi-
tion of Florida everglade lands which
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