The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-08-09
BOARD OF TRADE
TAKES A HAND
FIOrahome Drainage PROPOSE
ton Endorsed.

The Florahome drainage matter has
firm advocate in the Palatka board OF
trade. That much was proved at the
meeting of the board last Monday night.
The board had been asked at a previous
meeting 10 give the weight of its in
tluencc toward the carrying out of the
drainage plans which the last Florida
Legislature placed in the hands of the
board OF County Commissioners, and
Secretary RoySter had been requested 10
gather data for board of trade so the
body would be in position 10 take in
telligent action. At the meeting on
Monday night Secretary Roystcr read
his report, which was unanimously
adopted. The following is the report:
To the officers and members of the Pa
latka Board of Trade,
Gentlemen;
In obedience to Instructions received
at the last meeting of the Board of Trade
your secretary has investigated the
matter of the Florahomc Drainage dis
trict with the following result;
The district covers an area OF about
500 acres for the drainage of which
The State Legislature, declaring il 10 be
available for successful agriculture,
passed a special act for this purpose and
the district was so established as 10 in
clude all OF the territory affected and no
more.
The five County Commissioners of
Putnam County and their successors
were appointed to take the matter in
charge and given full authority to cut
deepen, widen and maintain a sufficient
system of bitches TO drain and reclaim
the lands included in the district; a tax
levy OF 2Oc per acre was authorized, the
same TO include the year 1911 and the
net proceeds TO be used for this purpose
only. The said tax was levied and
about s., 200 of the same was collected
and now stands to the credit of the
Commissioners on interest bearing de
post in local bank. The payment OF
the balance on said tax for the year 1911,
some $500, is resisted, there being con
tention on the part of some of the pro-
perty owners in said district as to their
liability for this tax, but your secretary
is informed that unless said taxes are
paid the lands assessed will be sold in
due course for said taxes.
The act under which the County
Commissioners are operating seems
complete in every detail and unless
there is some constitutional defect OF
which your secretary has no knowledge
there seems to be no reason why the
money should not be collected and the
work proceed.
From different, unofficial sources the
reliability of which your secretary can
not vouch, he learns the following:
That II miles of bitches have already
been cut by the Etoniah Canal and
Drainage Company, all of this work be
ing done in this district and being a
part of the the general system. Thai
mains TO be cut, this mile being at the
very mouth of the canal system ii is
essential that this be finished al once in
order 10 render the system of any ser
vice whatever. That this mile OF
canal runs through lands not included
in the district and that condemnation
proceedings, which are fully authorized
by the special act above referred TO, will
be necessary before right -of-way for the
canal through this ! mile can be oh,
tanned. And further, that il is essential
that some prompt and active steps be
taken to protect the people who have
already settled in this district in the cx
pectation that the work would be done
according to law.
Respectfully submitted,
w B. ROYSTER, Sec.
August 5th 1912.
After some discussion, all of which
was favorable TO the carrying out of the
present lPW ME.-H. NJ. deMontmollin's
motion that a committee of 10, five
members of the board of trade .i;fds- five
property holders in the drainage district,
be appointed TO go before the county
commissioners on the following day
and urge that body to begin operations
under the drainage act at once. The
committee appointed under this reSolu.
ton by President Davis consisted OF
MeSSrs. Montmollin, Seig, Oldficld,
Lucas, and Stephens for the board OF
trade, and Messrs. Tubbs, Tucker,
Joiner, Knight and Brakeman for the
FloFahome property owners.
The Committc met the County Com
miSSioners by appointment in the after
noon of Tuesday, and while the board
had resolved itself into board of drain
age commissioners, as provided in the
law, and that body after some discus
sion resolved to begin work on the
drainage project Immediately with the
money now in hand, and so informed
the committee.