The Pensacola journal., 1913-01-08

ment with the Florida Coast Line Canal
& Transportation Co., whereby the saId
company was to complete their canal
northward from near St Augustine TO the
St. Johns, river. They used as far as
practicable, the Matanzas river and Pa
bio creek. They were also to build a.
canal from the MantanZas river Ito the
Halifax river" The preceding trustees
also decided direct to the canal company
100 600 acres receiving $50, ,00o. 90 in cash.
This enabled these trustees to do work
in the Everglades, and assisted the canal
company in securing money with which
to work on this canal.
Through the operations of this agree
ment, the preceding trustees placed in es-
crow two deeds, aggregatlng 2s0, 900 acres
each of the deeds conyeying about ll5.Ooo
going work, the canal company was to
receive these deeds.
When the canal COMPANY had con-
structd its canal ito the Halifax river"
titled to the escrow deeds, the canal to
the ST. Johns river having already been
completed. The present trustees claimed
that the canal company should extend
miles, to the navigable waters of the
Halifax river, a rough estimate of the
cost of the same being about $4,000 to
$50, 900. Before the first escrow deed was
delivered, the trustees required the canal
company to expend under vouchers of
the engineer of the trustees, $50, 900 90
for improvement of the canal between
Daytona and Miami. This was not pro-
vided for in the contract made by the
preceding trustees with the canal COM
pany Before delivering the remaining
escrow deed, the trustees required the
canal company to deposit SIS, 90 to
be expended by the trustees in deepen
ing the Halifax river and in improving
the canal between said river and Miami.
1t thus appears that before delivery of
these escrow deeds, the interest of the
L. -
as the present trustee secured for the
benefit of the canal from 100000 to S125,-
600 more than was contemplated in the
agreement made by the preceding trus-
tees No provision has ever been made
by the legislature or otherwise for main
tenance of tbe canals.
RESERVATION OF OIL AND PHos..
PHATE. ADVERTISING SALE
OF LANDS.
I firmly believe that oil will ba found in
Florida. We are now a great phosphate
producing state. The present trustees
by resolution, adopted the policy of pre-
serving TO the state, three fourths of all
the phosphate and other minerals and
half of the oil which might be found on
lands conveyed. They also, by resolu-
tion, adopted the policy of advertising for
bids before they would sell any lands in
large quantities. The attention of the
The legislature passed a law embodying
these propositions.
GRADING THE PUBLIC LANDS.
Prior to this administration the lands
of the state had never been graded as to
price or quality. A fiat price was placed
on them all The purchaser naturally
selected the best. We have adopted the
policy of grading them, placing the price
OF some, and selling some as high as S25
per acre.
Hon w h Ellis is the attorney for
the trustees and the Board Of Drainage
ee%nifstSnsTs soNnSe ros salagS scHoo 81 SCO susps
TRIcTs.
During the legislature of 1909 it be-
came my duty to veto one or more bills,
providing for the bonding of school sub
districts, the same being unconstitutional.
The legisla ture supported the veto. I
recommended an amendment to the con-
stitution, providing for such. 1t affords
me much pleasure to know that the same
STATE COLLEGES AND OTTER IN.
STITUTIoNS.
The state colleges and other institu-
tons have improved in many respects.
all of them. Their curriculum, training,
high grade of instruction and pupils, and
good management, have given them high
rank. The conditions at the Hospital for
the Insane have been much improved
INVESTMENT OF STATE SCHOOL
FUND.
The principalkof the state school fund
is being invested in bonds of counties and
u
to per cent instead of in the bonds of
other states bearing about per cent, as
heretofore. Besides increasing the in
comes, for the school fund from this
ing reader market for the bonds Of our
counties and cities.
CONVICT FARM OF 1900 ACRES.
When. the convicts are put upon the
roads. / recommend the adoption of the
plan now enforced in Colorado, In that
state, the convicts are first sent to the
penitentiary. If they behave themselves
properly, they are placed upon the roads.
the month is allowed them for good be-
havfor. No guards are placed over them.
OF course, there are foremen. If they es-
cape, they lose all their gain-tim and
are never placed on the roads again.
This is called placing them on their
honor" They are actually placed under
the great impelling force-seIf- interest.
Every state has penitentiary except
F1orlda- The last legislature passed an
act, which was vetoed, placing the Flor
ida state convicts on the roads, making
no provisions for a penitentiary or for a
hospital. The act contemplated that all
the convicts should be used in nova bic
iron cages as is done in Georgia To my
mind, this is an inhuman way of hand
ling convicts. Before the convicts are
placed upon the roads. a good peniten-
tiary and good hospital should be erect
ed, same to be paid for from the money
derived from the lease of convicts This
amounts to about $4,000 per year. This
is now paid to the counties in proportion
to their assessed valuations. This is the
first administration to withhold from
lease the women, the old, and infrrnI
The contractors agreed to pay S2S1 so for
each convict, and 10 per cent extra after
the women, old and infirm were removed
During the preceding administration they
were leased from S207. 20 for each convict
They take care of them for this Is per
cent. Upon the recommendation of the
administration, the legislature authorized
the purchase of approximately II 600
acres of land at $500 per acre. splendid
land, well located. in Bradford county,
CONFERENCE OF CIRCUIT JUDGES
Upon my recommendation the legisla-
ture Of 1911 authorized the appointment
of a commission relating to court pro-
cedure The able commission which was
appointed has reported. recommending
the passage Of bill which will mate
rally simplify and expedite the business
Of the courts.
I called together a conference OF the
circuit judges Of the state. They recon-
mended the passage of certain laws.
drawing up the bills. They thought so
well of this conference that they recon-
mended that they be periodically recon
vened. Since convening the same, I have
learned that Frederick the Great of Prus-
sia. convened the judges in similar con-
ference am glad to know that Fred
erick was right at least once.
HOSPITAL FOR INDECENT CRIPPLED