The Ocala evening star., 1915-08-24
THE SITE
FOR THE GIRLS SCHOOL

About two weeks ago, shortly after
the visit of State Controller Knott to
Ocala, there appeared in the Gaines
vile Sun an article, saying Mr..
Knott and Mr.. Luning had been to
this city to make preparations for
establishing the girls industrial
school of the state at the Marion
Farms. As the Star had interviewed
Mr. Knott on his visit, and he had
not mentioned anything of the sort,
and as it moreover knew Mr.. E. E.
McLin had made arrangements to
purchase the farm, it wrote to Mr..
Knott for official information on the
subject. The following reply from
Mr.. Knott has just been received:
Tallahassee, August %, 1915.
Editor Star: Your letter in rela-
ton to the Marion Farms received. /
have read the newspaper article you
en- closed and presume that the i'm
pressions which were obtained from
ga gentleman who came down on the
train," were based on some inferences
drawn by his informer from some
casual conversation with some person
on the train, but it could not have
been from any expression made by
me- At the time referred to, Mr..
Luning and | were engaged in max
ing one of the frequent visits and in
spections of the state prison farms as
has been the custom for some time,
and our visit was confined solely to
this purpose.
In reference to the selection of tho
girls industrial school / will say that
this matter has been informally con-
sidered by the board to the extenet
of discussing land located in differ
ent sections of South and East Flor
/ ida as a possible site for the school,
but these discussions never proceed
ed even so far as to provide for the
| selection of the committee to make
Investigations; in fact, the matter has
not been taken up for formal consid-
Grafton by the board of commission
ers of state institutions. When the
matter of selecting location for the
girls industrial school is brought up
for consideration and determination
by the board, the Marion Farms will
doubtless receive careful considera-
ton as the board has an option on
the land and it could be purchased il
the board should decide to pursue
that course. No sale of the land by
the owners could be consummated
until the option held by the board OF
state institutions shall have expired
at the end of the present year, with
out the consent of the board of com
missioners of state institutions.
l regret exceedingly that the i'm.
preston was made by any person
that at the time stated in the news
paper article, or at any other time, @
committee from the board of state in.
stitutions was making an investiga.
tion with view of selecting loca.
Sincerely yours,
w. v. Knott.
The foregoing may be considered
final in regard to this matter. While
| as WI 1AAIOLL says IAiC OOdIQ VI SIdte
institutions has an option on th'
farms until the end of the year, there
are no funds available for the pur
chase, the legislature not having
made appropriation for that purpose
There is no reason to change tht
news item that appeared in the Sta
some weeks ago that Mr.. McLin haC
purchased the farms, as he, of course
il entirely familiar with the status O.
the property. 1t would be a gooc
thing for the school if it was estab
lished near Ocala and as CAREFUL,
managed as the Marion Farms hav
always been. 1t will be better fo
0cala, however, to have the farms Il
the hands of private individual VIII
J will make them of more use an,
ornament to this section than the,
L