The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-02-11
Florida Land Scandal Over Engineers
Reports and Influence of
the Real Estate
Sharks.
ANOTHER BOMB HURLED
Congressman Clark Makes Public
Some Letters Regarding the
Crooked Work Which
Went on.


WASHINGTON Feb. Represen-
tative Clark (dem. Fla.) tonight
threw another bomb into the depart
ment of agriculture in connection with
the Florida everglades land scandal.
After Solicitor McCabe's defense. be-
fore the house committee on expendi-
lures in the department of agriculture
today. Clark made public letters di-
rectly CONTRADICTORY The solicitor
flatly denied the charge that Chief
Drainage Engineer Elliott and Assist
ant Moorehouse, were dismissed be-
cause they opposed the land specula
tors of Florida. and that reports ad
been suppressed. He asserted that
juggling of the funds of the drainage
bureau led to the dismissal.
Clark gave out letters purporting to
show that a month ago McCabe, pre-
pairing for an investigation, took pos.
session of all documents in the case
and that Elliott at that time feared
that McCabe would make him the
"scapegoat for his superiors.'' This
information was in a letter to the
congressman from Arthur T. Morgan,
a department drainage engineer. Nor
gan quoted from a letter he received
from Elliott dated January 9.
The original report was carefully
guarded, and it would be a breach oi
order that would be followed by dis
I'missal TO give out a copy. McCabe il
acting In very mean way so that
/ have much more to fear than from
the committee or outside enemies
/ About the only way tnat he can jus
| tify the secretary is to discredit me
and my work, and | think that will be
| his plan of defense. / think | shall be
obliged to defend myself from his at
tacks. The agents of the Florida land
companies are keeping remarkably
quiet just now They know that If
| the matter is given greater publicity
the bottom will fall out of the land
market"
Quoting letter from another friend
| in the department whose name he did
not give, Morgan wrote:
Elliott is in an unusual place as
he cannot defend himself without In
eliminating the secretary through
whose orders after complaints were
received from real estate men that
the Wright report was corrected by
Mr. Elliott would hurt their business
| the report was suppressed I am
afraid that the secretary will unload
on Elliott il possible in order to save
his own neck The worst of it is Ell
4 lott is in no condition of health tc
| face the ordeal"
In conclusion Morgan wrote:
ut has been a matter of common
knowledge among drainage officials
that the suppression of the everglades
report by Wright, as revised by Elliott
has been an embarrassment to the de
partment's higher officials.
II would not presume to write il
this manner concerning the head ot
the department in which am an Off
cial, did it not seem SO unjust to dis
miss Elliot presumably on Other
charges, when the real cause of hi:
dismissal is to cover the embarrass
ment of his superiors
4 Engineering deductions on which
the Florida everglades project ii
based, are so incorrect and incompe
tent that there can be no middl,
ground taken as to whether the re
writing by Elliott of the favorable
Wright report was necessary"