The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-03-23

nlted STATES. Although not entirely
fred from frost. the climate is mild,
living conditions when the lands are
thoroughly drained will be ideal. and
there il long list Of farm and gar
den crops that can be planted prac-
tically every mV7.th in the year
Potato Crop, $40O an Acre.
AS this is being written. potatoes
are being harvested at Davie. grown
on partly drained Everglades soil, that
were planted just ten weeks ago. and
that will yield the growers return
of probably $500 an acre at present
prices. Celery now being gathered in
this same district will yield even
lasger returns per acre.
The luxuriant growth of forage
plants of almost innumerable varieties
that have been tried ont in the muck
have demonstrated beyond question:
that the Everglades offers a wonderful
country. From GO to so bushels of
corn to the acre have been grown on
partly reclaimed Everglades land.
Should Pay Third of State Taxes.
The only possible explanation for
the delay in retaining these lands
and making them habitable, cultivablel
and taxable. is that the people of
the state do not fully understand the
benefits that will accrue to the entireI
state from their development and set
Element At present these lands have
only prospective or speculative value
Here is an empire of / 1000. 900 acres,
capable of supporting a million peo-
pie. that is lying unused and use
less, for the most part. Fully re-
claimed, these lands should have tax
able value Of from $25 to 500 AM
acre, or more. Reclaimed and set
tied, the Everglades should pay thirdI
port the state government and state
institutions. Why not drain them?,
Why delay the work longer?
Engineering Problems Solved.
There are no difficult problems oil
an engineering nature to solve I'M
bringing about Everglades drainage.
All engineers are agreed as to the gen.
eral plan to he followed With in
sufficient funds 10 prosecute the en-
tire work vigorously and complete IL
wholly within limited time. however.
the state has spread its efforts out sc
thin that. while hundreds of miles OF
canals have been partly dredged. GOV
ering territory cmbracirg q large
portion of the Everglades, prac+ically
no part of the Glades has received
any material and permanent benefit
from the work that has been done.
No Trouble About Financing.
Only part of the work that hasi
been done so far is wasted. however
The great need at present is to hav6l
some parts of the work finished. andi
this can be done quickly without anvil
interference with the completion oil
the project as a whole There is +.
good reason why at least half miI
lion acres of Everglades lands. VIAL
proper planning and vigorous action
cannot be made ready Tor settlements
within the next year or two. With
such settlement provided for ana &C
cOmpliShed, there will be 10 longel
any speculation as 10 the value Of
demonstration as this, and there
will he no trouble about selling al.
the bonds necessary to finish the pro.
ject, even if the ultimate amount is asj
great as $50.000.000. which would
not be prohibitive price for the won |
derful development it would bring
about. Let even a hundred thousand
acres Of the Glades be built up With
homes and farms, and il will be eaSielt
TO sell five per cent. bonds at pall
to finish the project than it now is tcl
sell six per cent. bonds at %. ,
Today we have 10000 or more PEG |
pie. living in all parts Of the United
States, who bought Everglades lands |
several years ago. hoping and ex-''
pectinS TO come To Florida to live, an
ticipating, with excellent reason, thatI
the drainage of their lands would bel
quickly accomplished Practically
none Of their lands are drained, andI
under present conditions nobody CAM
say when they will be drained. Wei
are asking. all these people TO payl
taxes on their undrained lands, which,
are at present unused and useless |
Thousands OF these buyers have quitI
paying taxes, forfeited their lands and
lost the money they invested. Others
will do the same this year. and II pres
ent conditions are continued it will be
only few years before the greater
part of these investors have become
ed. their lands forfeited and
their money wholly lost.