Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-02-08
Investigation Of Department OF
Agriculture Relates to Flor
ida Land Exploitation.
MILLIONS OF ACRES SOLD
Officials Said to Have Been Influ-
enced by Promoters-Engi-
neers Dismissed and Re-
ports Suppressed.

|
involving orders of Secretary Wilson and
| Solicitor McCabe, similar in many re-
spects to the recently concluded McCabe-
Wiley controversy, but which embraces
charges Of suppressed reports and in
| fluence OF land spectators over govern
ment officials is to be instituted by the
House committee on expenditures in the
| agricultural department.
| Circumstances. smoldering for months,
relating to exploitation Of Florida Ever
glade lands. millions of acres of which
have been sold throughout the country
| by syndicates in the past few years.
| burst into flame before the committee
to-day, following the summary dismissal
from government service by Secretary
Wilson last Saturday of c. G. Elliott.
chief engineer of the drainage division
| of the department. and Assistant En-
gineer A. d. Morehouse, and the suspen-
sion of F. Il. Singleton. an accountant,
on a technical charge of transference
of public funds
Representatives Frank Clark Of Florida
and f. II. Bathrick of Ohio. who have
instigated the investigation. charged be-
fore the congressional committee to-day
that officials of the department Of agri-
Evergladc land promoters in the suppress
sion of report on the condition of the
lands made by the drainage department ;
that Chief Engineer Elliot was threat
ened by agents OF the land promoters I'M
less he would revise a circular letter to
the public which did not contain lauda-
tory references to the lands they were
selling. and that upon his refusal, the
circular and subsequent fuller report
were suppressed by the order of Secre-
tary Wilson and that later Engineers
Elliot and Morehouse were removed from
office.
DENIES DISMISSED REASON
Solicitor McCabe. who was called be-
fore the House committee of which Re
preventative Moss of Indiana Is chair
man. denied to-day that the dismissal
of the department officials was caused
by the Florida land case. and declared
that the action was taken following
charges that the dismissed man had mis-
applied funds. All the papers relating to
this feature of the case VIII be turned
over to the department OF justice for
POSSIBLE prosecutions.
In this connection It Is charged by Rep
resentative Clark that Elliott was as
|
| Of the charge against him, If he would
keep still" about the actions in the de-
rartment of the Florida land investiga-
lions. Representatives Clark and Bath
rick asserted to-day that they would
, show before the committee that the order
Diminishing the men did not come from
y Secretary Wilson until after II had be
. come certain that the House committee
| iyf,t ir, ~.
Representative Bathrlck had appeared
before the committee in executive session
. last Saturday. few hours later TN
. letters were issued Diminishing the tw'
drainage officials and suspendng Single
ton.
,, The charges involving the dismissed
y men were reported to have been made t
y Solicitor McCabe recently by ]. o. Wright
n former subordinate Of Elliott, hut a
present chief engineer of the board o
~ trustees of the international improvement
y. fund of the state Of Florida. WrlGh
~ made n favorable report upon the Ever
"a glade lands and soon afterward resigne
from office to enter the employ OF tn
State of Florida
IF REASON FOR SUPPRESSION.
Solicitor McCabe told the committe
that all reports and papers bearing
. the Everglades case had been collect
-, ed by the department and would b
" turned over to the committee for il
ny Investigation. The department. h
ii said, welcomed the investigation. ii
Of declar red, further that the reason Sec
d. rotary Wilson had ordered that IN
report on the Everglades be not print
ma, I'M 7
drainage department were so at val
" lance In the matter. When asked wh
new investigation was not institu'
10 ed. Mr.. McCabe told the committee thi
ne the State of Florida by that time ha
taken the matter in hand, and wa
VI conducting an inquiry.
Representative Clark said to-da
), that Secretary Wilson would be sun
moned az witness and that he woul
IN be asked concerning an interview !
&c had with the Florida representatiN
some time ago in which the secretal
NJ Is said to have admitted that he ha
re suppressed the report on the Evergla'
d. lands. Or. Clark charges this WI
x done at the request of the land con
lis panies He said that together VII
four Florida citizens he called on Sc
7 rotary Wilson to ask why the repo
was suppressed. One of these men W;
w. r. Hardee of Jensen, Fla. who r.
Gently made a statement that Secretal
Wilson said:
ok Il am not running this office for Il
he protection OF fools who do not know III
IL better than to buy something that thu
ny never saw and do not know anythii
about"
This statement Mr.. Hardee declar
ny Secretary Wilson made to Mr.. Clark hir
* self and to others when they visited hi
49, Hardee also will he summoned nero
ay the House committee az n witness.
* Before the House committee to-day Re
ne resentative Clark stated that in 1907 I
department of agriculture was food
SIX with requests from people throughout t
country regarding the condition of Florl
nj Everglade lands which syndicates We
exploiting. j. o. Wright and Il corps
i'k engineers from the drainage departing
got were sent to Florida by chief Engine
a complete report, Here, according
|rs. Representative Clark, began the trou
cs- that has led up to the present controver'
the a part OF the evidence submitted to
be House committee is a copy of a let
written by Mr.. Elliott to Secretary wills