The Lakeland evening telegram., 1913-05-31
FLORIDA TO LEAD
THE PROCESSION

T6E FkUCEoo1VN
Growers and Shippers League to Do
Its Part in Putting Dixie
on the Map.
Tampa, Fla, May 31.-(Special)-
The greatness of the South, and
the pre-eminence of Florida in the
| siuth is not appreciated to the full
est extent by those who have been
/ here for years, and the changes
wrought before their eyes may per-
haps have seemed local and gradual,
but the development has been gen.
eral and the face of Florida has been
changed, and daily is being further
changed.
The world today stands by in awe,
witnessing Southern rush SO much
more intense than any Westward
rush that ever occurred that there
i. no comparison.
The United States government il
spending thousands, and every State
i. the Union is spending thousads,
to teach the farmers. the backbone
Of any country. the true value OF CO.
operatiin, and the American commits
sion of agricultural cooperation,
composed of hundred men, are trav-
eiirg the old worlds in search of any
item that may help to raise the
standard of American husbandry, and
that may increase the flow Of wealth
und financial aid farmward instead
O, as it is today.
The Southern Settlement and De-
velopment organization, launched BY
sixteen Southern governors, among
them former Governor Gilchrist, is Il
wonderful organization which is re-
sponsible for great part of the de-
yelopment of the whole South. This
organization is like many others
working for a Greater Dixie.
The greatest undevelped State o.
the South is Florida, with possibili
ties SO great and future SO promis-
ing that the tales of the Arabian
Nights may pale in comparison with
the changes to be wrought in the
coming generation.
TO accomplish this requires the CO.
o7eration of all, and a change OF GER
tain conditions only cooperation
can bring about, and the Florida
Growers and Shippers league which
is now being organized, is today the
hope of Florida for speedy correc-
ton of conditions in this State.
B. l.. Hammer, Of Tampa, Fla, a
man upon whom all have agreed as
the ideal organizer, is now the back
bone and the mainstay of this orga-
n.zation, and he is about to COM
mence the work of organization and
to inaugurate a Statewide campaign
upon such broad, systematic and SUE
ccssful lines that the success of the
organization is assured.
This organization is to work for
better transportation facilities.
rates that are fair AMI just and
right, for Statewide improvements
in all lines, and for local improve
ments in all communities. 1t shall
mean not only dollars and cents AMI
hundreds and thousands and even
millions of them to the State, II the
success is only half what was &C.
complished in California by a similar
organization.
To this community and to every
community in the State the plan is
of great Importance. There is to be
the main central league, which is to
look after the needed reforms, and
projections, and safeguards, for the
State at large, and the members OF
the league, vegetable and fruit grow
ers and all persons interested in a
greater Florida, are each to automat-
ically become members Of the cen
trail organization and in each COM
munity is to be a local league, COM
posed of all the members of the Gen.
trail league in the vicinity of each
! local league.
These local leagues will create
civic pride and friendly rivalry bt
tween communities, and will provide
a channel through which the most ef
ficient work can be done and an ave
nue. by which the governments ma.
extend the aid and assistance the!
are ever willing to do, If there wer'
only some reliable source of reach
ing the progressive, the active, an