The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-11-19
Joint Meeting of Chamber of
Commerce, Rotarians and XII
wanians Urges Appointment
of Committee.
CLEMENT S. UCKER
EXPLAINS METHODS
Says Florida is More Nearly
Ready Than Any Other South
ern State for Great Forward
Movement in Progress.

Three problems confront the people
of the south today" said Clea at s.
Ucker, former assistant Secretary OF
the Interior and at present vice presi-
dent of the Southern Settlement and
Development Organization, at a joint
meeting of the Chamber of Commercc,
the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs yester-
day afternoon. sThe three problems
are, briefly, artificial defects. the at
titude of the people of the south toward
themselves. and the attitude of the rest
of the country toward the SOUTH
The speaker declared that the arsi-
ficial defects are remedial that the
south, potentially. is richer and in bet
ter position to care for an influx OF
population than any other section OF
the nation. Concerning the attitude IF
the southerners toward themselves. he
said the south must unite to take broad
forward steps. and not depend on
sporadic efforts.
The attitude of the rest of the coun-
try toward the south he described as
a natural but unfortunate psychological
phenomenon. He showed how the tide
of immigration has always been east
and west, never north and south. leav-
ing the south in the backwash so to
speak. sThe South must advertise it's
opportunities" he said. "and must
overcome the natural propaganda of
Greeley's Go west, young Man. and
grow up with the country dogma
Mr.. Ticker said that Florida has mill
lions of acres of unused lands and thai
these lands are. at present. a t'by-
product which can best be made use
of by cattle raising, explaining how
Florida, in conjunction with the rest OF
the south. has SO much unused lands
ne said:
when the hardwood and pine OF
the lake states and of New England
and New York had been logged off.
then it was found profitable to cut
the yellow pine timber of the south
and then they started. and as the de-
mand was an ever increasing one. the
coastal plain was gradually stripped
of its timber. The timber operator
started southwark from Norfolk. and
as he pushed forward he left behind
him a .'by- -product'' in the shape of
cut-over lands. There was left be-
hind thousands of acres of stumps.
Everyone seemed satisfied The tim
Der operator had bought the land fos
the timber growing thereon. He pre-
of the timber per acre. The vendor
was satisfied The timber operator
left behind him literally a by product
But soon there came a time when
new courthouses. new schoolhouses,
when new roads and good roads came
into these communities, and there was
a constant advance of taxes. and IS
the taxes went up it became more
and more dffficlllt TO hold these thoI-
sands of acres of by product: in
stead of becoming possible asset they
became decided liability The own
ers of these acres of cut-over lands
were face to face with very grave
situation. They had either to allow
these lands to go back to the state
for taxes, to find buyer. or put them
to present-day beneficial use. There
was no other way out.
Vow, they tried colonization all the
way from Norfolk around to Calves
ton, Texas-the old-style colonization,
a little bit of everything. all the new
ideals, all the latest DEVELOPMENTS in
any way successful and the methods
in part that We're tried in West Cana
da and in the northwest and in the
southwest; in some cases with more
or less success. but, generally speaking.
in the large, mind you il did not work
Now, according to my conception
OF the whole situation which is facing
us, the only thing that may be done
with these vast areas of cut-over land.
with this great product, against
the day when there viii be demand.
No. 4Continued on Page Two