New-York tribune., 1912-02-07

! board of trustees of the international
! Improvement Fund Of the State of Flor
ida Wright made favorable report
/ on the Everglade lands, and soon after
! ward resigned from Office to enter the
service Of the State of Florida.
Wilson To Be Called as Witness.
! Representative Clark said to-day that
Secretary Wilson would be summoned
as a witness, and that he would be asked
| concerning an interview he had with the
Florida Representative some time ago. in
which the Secretary is said TO have &C.
knowledged that he had suppressed the
| report on the Everglade lands. Mr..
! CLARK charges this was done at the re-
| quest OF the land companies He said
that together with four citizens of Flor
| ida he called on Secretary Wilson to ask
Why the report was suppressed. One Of
these men was W. r. Hardee, OF Jensen
! Fla. who recently made statement
that Secretary Wilson said:
Il am not running this Office for the
protection Of fools who do not know any
better thar to buy something that they
never saw and do not know anything
about"
This statement. Mr.. Hardee declared
Secretary Wilson made 10 Mr.. Clark
| himself and TO others when they visited
him. Hardee also will be summoned
before the House committee as a wit
ness.
Before the House committee to-day
Representative Clark outlined the
charges, saying that in 1907 the Depart
ment OF Agriculture was flooded with
requests from people throughout the
country regarding the condition of Flor
ida Evcrglade lands which syndicates
were exploiting. J. Q. Wright and
corps Of engineers from the drainage de-
partment were sent 10 Florida by Chief
Engineer Elliott to make survey and to
compile a complete report. Here, accord
ing to Representative Clark. began the
trouble that mas led up TO the present
controversy
Elliott Tells Of Threats.
A part Of the evidence submitted 10 the
House committee IS a copy OF a letter writ
ten by Mr.. Elliott to Secretary Wilson last
November. In this the engineer set forth
the whole history of the case and asserted
that he was threatened by agents OF the
land dealers when he refused TO alter or
suppress a circular sent out on the Ever
glades. The letter follows:
Some time in January 1910. if l remember
correctly. +. G. Howe and Thomas II. Wills.
agents for the Florida Everglades Land
Company. called upon Director A. c. True;
of the office Of experiment stations, and
protested against our sending out these cir
culars. I was called into the directors
office and I'm the directors presence they
demanded Of me that the circular should be
discontinued and threatened me personally
with public exposure Il any further infor-
nation concerning the Everglades should
be furnished TO correspondents.
\ few days later they called at my office
and I'm the presence Of the Office engineer
continued their demands not only that the
circular letters be discontinued, but that we
send to ali To whom we had sent circulars
q TetractiOn Of certain statements In them
which were especially displeasing. Upon
my refusal to entertain such a proposition
Mr.. Howe informed me in somewhat strong
language that unless | acceded 10 their
wishes they would take the matter up
higher and compel me 70 suppress all In
formation regarding the Everglades. Both
Director True and myself refused TO dis
cuss the matter further with them.
Soon after I received instructions from
your ONCE. through the director. TO send no
further copies OF the circular nor furnish
information OF any kind 10 inquiries con
cerning the Everglades
The direction from YOU 10 furnish no fur
thor information concerning the Everglades
was emphasized in the following May. when
I was called by YOU into your office and
emphatically cautioned 10 give no infor-
nation whatever to any one about the
Everglades As remember. you remarked
that the state and real estate dealers we're
engaged IN a promotion scheme that the
department. should have nothing to do with.
The circular said 10 have been sup
pressed BY Secretary Wilson also will be
I'm evidence before the committee This
circular was made UP on on account OF pub
Mc demand for information while the print
ed report from Wright which was bulky,
was being awaited Elliott outlined por-
tions Of the circular, unfavorable TO the
exploitation schemes OF the land syndicates
which he declared Howe and Wills de-
manded that he retract The circular in
the main recited the government reclama-
tion and drainage plans for the Everglades
and included many favorable references 10
the prospects.
In his statement TO Secretary Wilson FL
liott said he directed Wright in April. 1905
to make complete report Of the Ever
glades investigation, and that in the June
Secretary Wilson's direction 10 study drain
age When he returned in September. 10
his surprise, he found the preparation OF
the repOrt had been dropped as soon as ne
had departed He then wrote:
In answer 10 my request for an cXplana-
ton Mr.. Wright replied that Governor
Broward OF Florida would undoubtedly be
defeated in the coming election and that
the succeeding administration would PROB
ably have no interest in the Florida PROF.
ect. and ne did not think II worth While
10 complete the report
Informed him that that was no con-
corn of ours and did not in any way re
lease us from the duty Of preparing a
prompt and careful report OF our inHesu-
cations and requested him 20 procad al
once with his work on the report
Says McCabe Demanded Documents
The report was eventually completed IN
May. 1903. according to Mr.. Elliott, and he
SAYS il was changed in many particulars
by himself and Mr. Morehouse, after con
sultation with an outside expert engineer.