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

For the Year Months
1902 $3.50. $3.50. So
1903. None
1904.
1905 1855. "a
1906. None
1907
1908. ........5
In regard to improving the river,
would say, first, to lock the canals
between Kissimmee City and Lake
Kissimmee. which will throw all the
water into one canal and give better
water there where it. is so shoal now;
cut off the sharp points 50 that the
boats can make the turns easier. and
u think a great deal of good to the
run will be accomplished.
Yours sincerely.
Clay Johnson.
P.. S.-WilI have postmaster for
ward record of rainfall hIr. >. n.
Braxton, U. s. Engineer Office,
Jacksonville, Fla. =
It will be observed that Captain
johnson does not say word about
this river ever being dry. Mr.. Spen-
Ger, that is a Pigment. pure and SIM
pie of the gentleman's imagination.
There is not one word in the record
anywhere to justify It.
With reference to the oklawaha
river. the gentleman on page 1868 Of
the record says, paraphrasing Mother
Goose
We have a crooked creek. that
has crooked name, and grabs a
crooked million while in crooked
game; to make crooked WATERPROOF
er run up crooked hill. it crooks
your Uncle Sam Through crooked
river bill.
Now this statement, in alleged
rhyme, have no doubt the gentle
man believes is the very acme Of re-
fined humor, but the trouble is that
there is not scintiIla OF fact upon
which to base it. It is entirely lack
ing in truth. The gentleman is un-
doubtedly seeking to pose for the
benefit of the folks back home" as
a watchdog of the treasury but
unfortunately for him, his record is
against him. Why, Mr. Speaker, this
gentleman has presented to this.
house during this session of Congress
two bills to take seventy-five thous-
and dollars in each case from the
treasury to construct government
buildings in towns in his district, one
of them little over two thousand
population and the other little over
three thousand population. What is
that when you are dealing in crook
ed games? Is there anything crook
ed about that? Maybe not. That is
economy! S
want now to call attention to
Document 514. with reference to the
Oklawaha river. This document
says:
The district officer states that the
towns in the vicinity OF the lakes
haye commerce amounting to about
10000 tons. none of which is now
shipped by water Ocala has com
merce amounting to about 900, 900
tons, of which practically none is nov
handled by water. The district Off
Ger believes that a conservative esti.
mate of the saving that would resull
from the Improvement on basis Of
200, 900 tons of commerce. would be
about 5000, 900 annually. He be,
4 lieyes that the river is worthy Of i'm,
lprovement under certain condition.
1 named to the extent of providing I
6-foot channel at an estimated cos
! OF $616 900 and 81. 900 annually fol
maintenance. The division engineel
concurs generally in the views of tn,
! district officer and reports the local.
: ty as worthy Of Improvement by tn,
u United States
Yet this a crooked game that save
; to the people of that community owe
six hundred thousand dollars annual
". in freights upon their produce.
: Rfr. Speaker, this kind of econom,
talk makes me sick. There has nev
/, er been river and harbor bill NOR
3 honestly framed, more carefully con
Z sidered than this one, and want t
: say to the gentleman from Wiscon
e sin (Mr. Frear) that when he wa
wearing swaddling clothes, political
: ly-and he has hardly got them o.
e yet-my colleague. the distinguish
0 and honored chairman OF this com
Il mittee (lIr. Sparkman) was a mem
|. Der of this committee. and he know
; more about the rivers and harbor
ard waterways OF this country tina
n the gentleman from Wisconsin woul
# ever know if he lived to be as old 2