Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-02-23
SECRETARY WILSON
REPUDIATES LETTER
ON FLORIDA LANDS
Declares Use of His Name
Over Statement Boosting Ev
ergIade Real Estate Was Not
Authorized

fBy Associated PTess.l
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2O.-Secretary
or Agriculture Wilson today denied au-
thorship OF a letter which has been
widely circulated by one OF the com
panies exploiting lands in the Florida
everglades.
The advertisement. headed. Secretary
wilson's opinion" was credited to the
East Coast Home Seeker" Of June. the
year not being given The purpOrted
letter follows:
There is no other large body of land
anywhere in the United States, in fact
anywhere else in the world, that VIII
when the drainage is completed, be so
valuable as the once despised ever
glades.
Between 100000 and 100000 acres
OF rich aIluvisI land located in a eli
mate that is almost absolute perfec-
ton. where all crops can be grown the
entire season through. where there are
no long. cold winters. no excessive heat
in summer and no malaria OF other dis
eases.
From the very nature OF conditions,
Florida becomes the paradise Of the
whole world. There careful, thrifty
tiIIer OF the soil can make more money
on 10 or 20 acres OF land than on 100
in the north or west The doubling
Thomases who are standing awaiting
DEVELOPMENT will in a few years see
their folly. There is no other section
OF the United States where the climate
is 50 near perfection There is no
where a title OF soil receives such large
rewards for labor. The is no other sec
ton OF the state where the Opportuni-
ties for small capital are so great and
where IN a few years the small man
can have a home and competency.
I have no recollection OF ever writing
anything OF this sort said Secretary
Wilson today This sort OF thing hap
peus often. and I Will have to stop II,
as have been. forced TO do many times
before. 1t is not uncommon 70 md my
name and that OF DR.. Wiley used with
out authority in advertisements, DIT.
WfIey's perhaps oftener than mine, be-
cause he Is more prominent
INQUIRY RESUMED
Inquiry into the department OF agri-
cultures connection with the everglades
was resumed today by the house COM
mittee-
u %. Wright, now chief drainage en-
cineer OF Florida. admitted that he
knew in 1893 Of the alleged financial ir-
regularitfes upon which q. g. ELLIOTT
and A. - AlorRhouse raeentlE were dis
missed from The department. but he did
not make the charges until q month
ago N
agricultural department after newspaper
articles had appeared in which g q.
Elliott criticised him for part of the
delay in publishing the everglades re
port
"Did not YOU think il your duty to re-
mort those irregularities when you
learned OF them in 1902" asked Henry
T. Davis. attorney for Elliott and More
house
4 was In the government service
then. and did not want TO make charges
against a superior officer" said Mn
Wright
But when these alleged quotations of
SIR Elliott appeared. you made your
charges TO the department OF agricul-
ture as a matter OF retaliation
'Not retaliation. but self protection
Attorney Davis sought n develop
what connection Senator Fletcher, OF
Florida, had with the preparation OF
senate document So, supposed to con-
tain all OF the official reports on the
everglades. Wright admitted that the
DEPARTMENTS everglades report as 1t
appeared in the senate document was
not the report as finally prepared by
Chief Engineer Elliott and set up IN
type at the government printing office
REPORT WAS JUGGLED.
Senator Fletcher, he said, had turned
the galley proofs OF this report over
10 him. Wright made the original re-
port TO the department which Elliott
revised. He testified that he rewrote
portions OF the report 10 restore it as
nearly TO the original as he could re-
member, and that il was in this shape
as il appeared in the senate document
Representative Clark brought Senator
Fletcher. when he asked Wright about
a conference between the senator,
Wright and Ex-Governor Jennings. at
which the Wright report as revised by
Elliott was restored 20 its original form
SENATOR FLETCHER SPEAKS
There has been an effort" said Sen
ator Fletcher, ''tO create an impression
that there was some special interest 70
be served by the publication of that
document BY the senate There is no
foundation for any such imputation-"
There has been no imputatiOn." Mr..
Clark replied. And don't see any eX-
cuse for the senator to make a speech
az this time. Thefe can be no objec-
ton 10 the senator taking the stand and
testffying. but the records ought 10 DC
held down 20 facuL"
Representative Higgins s1ggesteo
that there had been limitations that eX-
Governor Jenn ngs was in partnership
with the land promoters us that true
senator I'll take your word for it
Il reails coHldn't say whether he Is
OF not" said Senator Fletcher i don't
know anything about it"