The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-04-18
OUR WEST COAST PRAISED
By Eminent Visitor From Wash
ington

the most elCnuSldSlIC WeSG Codol
visitors of the season. They came
the first of February expecting to
spend two weeks that Mr.. Bennett
might recuperate from a break
down caused by overwork. The
two weeks have heightened into
six and Mr.. Bennett has adopted
the song Of the wounded soldier in
love with his nurse: 81 don't
want to get we'll" They have
spent most of the time in st. Pc
tersburg, with frequent trips to
Tampa, and automobile tours
through the lake country and all
about-the auto tours in company
with Mr.. and Mrs. R. P. O'Neill of
Macon, Ca, who have a house in
st. Petersburg.
Mr.. Bennett is manager OF the
Congressional Information Bureau
at Washington and is especially
remembered in Tampa through the
series of illustrated lectures that
he gave at the Tampa Bay Casino
on "The South and the Panama
Canal" under the auspices of the
board of trade when Fishtorian
Powell was secretary.
Both Mr.. Bennett and Mr..
O'Neill are loud in praise OF the
beauty, fertility and progressive
ness of the whole west coast.
In the course Of talk today at
the Tampa Bay with representa-
tive of The Tribune, Mr.. Bennett
said:
"Life at st. Petersburg is de-
lightful, particularly if one can
freely and frequently come over
to the metropolis of Tampa, to get
in touch with the board of trade,
the Rotary Club, the shipbulldlng
operations, the people that make
The Tribune, and other affairs OF
state and of industrial progress
that center here. Your shipbulld-
inc plant, by the way, has made
better progress, given the ship
ping board at Washington less
trouble and had fewer labor and
housing difficulties than any other
plant that | know of.
Fletcher Big Factor
"And that reminds me that the
man who has done more than any
other man in public life to start
off, straighten out, clarity and
give impetus in shipbuilding is
Florida's senior senator, Duncan
u. Fletcher. 1t is everywhere con
ceded that ships are the greatest
need of the war. Senator Fletch
er is the congressional pioneer OF
legislation to build up the Amerl
can merchant marine. Wey be
fore we thought of getting into
the war he introduced the first bll
to create an American merchant
marine, through shipping board
If that bill had been allowed tt
pass instead Of being talked tt
death, our shipbuilding program
would be two years ahead in thu
great strides it is now making
There are no words that can tel
how much this would mean in tn,
winning of the war Senator
Fletcher introduced and pressed
to passage the bill on commerce
he has conducted the investiga
tions that opened up the situation
at Hog island, discovered error
of management at other yards
and led to much needed correc
tions. This chairmanship and hi
strong sense of how to be usefu
make him the right bower of TIL
administration in all matters re
lating to shipping, river and 'har
Dor Improvement, and commere
generally. Senator Fletcher i
likewise a member of the severa
other important committees.
Referring to affairs generally a
Washington, Mr.. Bennett contin
ued: "The administration is VI
against the greatest task that ha
ever confronted the country and
meeting it exceedingly well-mak
ing mistakes here and there, bu
correcting them as well as it car