The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-04-25
Miami Citizens Give Views
On Drainage of Everglades
(By II. A. FelkeI f,

members of the Legislature sa.,r
Gay:
whereas, The drainage and 70
eiamation of the more than ooo
wy acres of fertile lands in tho
Everglades is of the most vita, a.,
pof'ahce to the whole State of Flor
ida and especially to the entire
southern portion of the State; and
Whereas, The State Of Florida
through official utterance, Of tho
legislature and of the responsible
executive officers of the State has
ior many years been committed bv
al principles of honor, justice and
integrity TO the completion of the
srsinage OF these lands; and
Whereas, Thousands of innocent
purchasers in all sections Of tho
United States have been induced b.
such official utterances and assur.
ancss to buy lands in the Everglades
which lands have not been drained.
ard
Whereas, The major drainage
forks begun ten years ago are only
about ten per cent. completed no
considerable area of the Everglades
lands have been fully drained the
methods of financing are wholly in
adequate to the size and import
anee of the undertaking, and the
comparatively small amount of work
accomplished during the last five
years has amounted to virtual
abandonment of the project; and
Whereas 1t has been conclusively
shown by experience that the speedy
reclamation and settlement of this
section, destined under proper CON
ditions to be Floridas greatest and
richest agricultural territory. can
not be hoped or expected to be real
,2ed under continuance of the pres
e2' methods and long-distance di-
rection of this work by a board of
commissioners and a chief engineer
with headquarters at Tallahassee;
ami
Whereas, The trustees of the In
ternal Improvement Fund and the
present commissioners of Everglades
drainage have by their pocices and
practices failed to sell drainage
bonds in sufficient amounts to brine
desired results and are unaD.a tc
make provision for funds for thf
completion of even the existing small
and inadequate construction con.
tracts; and
Whereas, The delay in DRAINING
the Everglades has handicapped and
prevented the proper settlement, de.
vlopment and prosperity of tho
southern section of the State and
Whereas, There has been intro
duced in the Legislature. by Senator
Hlghlett in the Senate, and by Rep
resentatives Marshall, of Broward
county, Watson of Dade county and
Hood OF Palm Beach cunty, in the
House, a bill which proposes to re-
move the Everglades lands and
drainage operations from present
control and to place them in tbs
hands of separate commission, &c
be conducted on proper basis, witl
competent engineer in charge OF
the physical work. and
Whereas, This proposed law will
! it is firmly believed. restore public
confidence in the Everglades project
and enable this great work to b'
financed and prosecuted to success
f,.l completion within a reasonable
time. to the great advantage Of no
only southern Florida, but the en-
tire State; therefore, be it
Resolved, That this Miami Cham
Der OF Commerce hereby endorse
without qualification the bill intro
duced by Senator Hughlett end b.
Representative Marshall, Watson
and Hood, as representing the bes
Interests and the public welfare o
the county Of Dade and the city o
Miami. and expresses the consensus
OF opinion of all public spirited eiti
zens of this community. and call
upon the representatives of thi'
county in the Legislature to wori
and vote for the enactment OF thi'
lill into law as speedily as possible
and hereby petitions and prays o
the members of the Legislature from
other parts of the State that thel
will support and aid the passage o
this proposed legislation; and be