Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-02-14
AN AID IN POLITICS
Disclosure by Witness N The
Everglades Investigation.
WORK OF SPECIAL AGENTS
Detailed to Accompany Candidates
for Congress.
ADJUNCT TO THE CAMPAIGNS
James o. Wright of Florida Details
Progress in Reclamation of
Land in South.
WORK OF SPECIAL AGENTS
ADJUNCT TO THE CAMPAIGNS

The Everglades are still unrecia;mec a
very small portion of the land Is under
cultivation" said Chief Drainage Engi-
neer James O. Wright OF Florida before
the House committee on the Agricultural
Department expenditures today. Most OF
that part OF the Florida peninsula is In
capable of cultivation because 1t has not
been drained"
When I first went to Florida in 1906
Travelled through the Everglades with
Gov. Broward by the primitive means of
the Seminole Indians-glade boats. Today
system Of canals float steamboats, over
the same routes. There are many more
settlers in the Everglades now than there
were when first saw the country
Mr.. Wright. who was called to testify
regarding the Department Of Agriculture's
reiatlons to the Everglades reclamation
project. said that in 1906 as supervising
drainage engineer of the Department of
agriculture he was sent to the Everglades
by Dr. Meads, his chief. C. @. Elliott,
one OF his colleagues in the department
who was dismissed from the service by
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson, was
given first chance at this assignment, but
objected that the dra mage OF the Ever
glades was of doubtful utility" Mr..
Wright said Gov Broward told him he
wanted the government to take up the
work, for fear OF political criticism il he
undertook it with Florida engineer.
Early Work Outlined.
Mr.. Wright told the committee of the
early government work on the Ever
giades and of his differences with c. G.
Elliott. who succeeded DIR. Meade an
chief of the drainage bureau. lie said
that j. L. Stewart, an expert, was sent
to Florida to study the Everglades Mr..
OF II ar~f1. ti,x..
terrors of the swamps To the commit
tee, and showed how Mr. Stewart mad
avoided them. He said MIR. Elicit
favored MIR. Stewards report OF the
Everglades
This report Mr.. Wright said. was
bound in morocco and was devoted to
the plant, animal and bird life of the
Everglades. with some interesting de-
scriptions of wild turkey shooting MIR.
Wright said Mr.. Elliott wanted to send
Mr.. Stewart back on a second survey,
but yielded to his objections, and per-
mitted him to take the next survey
party to Florida.
Campaign Methods Exposed.
Mr. Wright drew aside a curtain that
has covered some campaign methods of
candidates for Congress. He said he had
been detailed in 1908 to accompany Rep
resentative John Humphrey Small of
~ Il
other employees of the Department of Ag-
iiIuilure, he said, went one. There Was
an expert from the bureau of soils, ono
from the plant industry bureau. a corn
expert and cotton expert. The govern
ment paid the expenses, Mr.. Wright said.
He said Representative Small introduced
them to the crowds and told them to
wait until the finish, as he hat some
thing important to tell them. -
The concluding remarks of Mr.. Small
-lLI
said that in his speeches he gave Mr..
Small credit for legislation. Other -can-
didates he had helped, he. said. We're
Representatives Goodwin and Thomas of
.,ortn ~aroiina: Representative KansdelI.
Louisiana, and another representative
from the Shreveport district whose name
he has forgotten.
In October. 1903, Mr. Wright submitted
his pan for draining the Everglades to
Chief Elliott.
Statement by Representative Small.
Representative Small Of North Carolina
appeared before the committee to ex-
plain the junkets through his district
He said politics did not enter into the
lectures or discussions and that diffusion
of knowledge was the aim.
Chairman Moss asked Solicitor McCabe
of the department if the pract. ce of send
ing government employees into cong. es-
sional districts had not been discont nu-
ed. Mr.. McCabe said that it had not, and
insisted that there was no politics I'm (;
Mr.. Wright testified that his report ON
the feasibility of reclaiming the Ever
giades was turned over to Chief Elliott in
January, 1909, and that it had not been
published. In October, 1909, Henry ri.
Hall of Colorado Springs had obtained an
excerpt from the report, which was later
published by the Florida land commits
sion.
The committee was adjourned to meet
tomorrow at 10 o'clock, when the certi-
fled copy of the Elliott circular will be
produced. 1t is the purpose of Chairman
Moss to open up the case and permit
Representatives Clark and Bathrick to
cross-examine Mr.. Wright.