The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-10-06
SENSE AND SARCASM

lOudy To Inc speech Or congressman
Clark. representing this, the second
Florida district, made in the House
of representatives Saturday. There
is no answering either Mr.. Clark'sI
argument or sarcasm. Most OF the
people lighting the river and harbor
bill were good judges of pork" be-
ing themselves hogs clear thru. They
have had their hands in the public
treasury up to the armpits, and now
that Florida asks for modest sum
for needed and Useful improvements
they cross their naturally swinish
disposition with a wide streak OF dog
in the manger, thus making an AMI
NAL fearful to behold. Let US hope
predetermined men will soon take.
their places in our national Iegis1a-
ture.
Mr.. Clark's speech follows:
Mr.. Speaker, l have been in this
House for nearly ten years. and dur
ing all that time have observed the
distinguished gentleman from New
York, Mr.. Payne, and ] never
thought that should live to see this
day, bringing as it does the spectacle
of the father of the Payne bill
weeping great tears over the extrav-
agance of Congress. It is sight
never thorght these eyes of mine
would behold Gaughter) And
then the gentleman from wisconsin
MIR. Stafford-another disciple of
all the extravaganza which has
characterized the proceedings of
Congress for many years, delivers to
us, lecture on economy. Oh, We.
gods! daughter on the democratic.
side).
But Mr.. Speaker, / arose to refer
to some remarks that were made a
few days ago by the gentleman from
Wisconsin, Mr. Frear. That gentleman
saw fit to make an attack upon a.
couple of rivers down in my state.
One was the Kissimmee river, and in
the course of his remarks he made
this statement: Ut will be found on
page 117O7 of the Reeord)
"A letter to the engineers is quot
ed in House document No. 137.
which shows up the SAT 900 Kissim-
NEE creek fraud. This creek. it will
be remembered, IS shown by the en-
gineer's reports to be dry for periods
varying from five to eight months in
a single year
Mr.. Speaker, hold in my hand
the report referred to and the gen
tleman cannot point to a single line
in this or any other engineers report
which states that the river is dry at
all. for any period of time. I want
to call your attention to what the en-
gineers do say. This is a letter from
General Bixby under date of July 8,
1913, and in the course of that letter
he makes this statement:
Although the amount of COM
merce handled is small, the special
board is of the opinion that this river
is worthy of improvement to the ex-7
tent of maintaining at mean low
water stages. a three foot channel
over the entire 1877 miles from Kis-
sfmmee to Lake Okeechobee, for
which a light draft dredge and ten
der will be required at an estimated
cost of s35, 900 for construction
$12. 900 for dredging the river the
first year, and $4,000 for six months
operation annually thereafter. :
Then further we find this:
1.-The board concurs with the spe-
ciaI board in believing that it is adj
visable for the United States to main
tain a three foot channel in the Kis-
simmee river to Lake Okeechobee. !"
Mr.. F'rear:< VIII the gentleman
i permit me to point out the report
where the statement is found
| Mr.. Clark, of Florida: ! cannot
! yield, will not yield have the re-
i, port here Here is a letter from AR
: Beach, of the corps of engineers
!, HE speaks of the low water surface
Of Lake Okeechobee, Kissimmee and
Caloosahatchee, and I want to say
r right here that some statement has
: been made that this survey of Lake
r Okeechobee. the Kissimmee and tht
| Ca1oosahatchee rivers was scheme
? to drain certain lands in that vicini
Ity. That statement is absolutely IN
true. / want to say Mr. Speaker
that the original provision for thii
t survey was put in the river and har
: Ibor bill at the instance of the stat,
q authorities to determine whether o
5 not after the survey the federal gov
/, eminent would object to the stat