The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-07-26

| can be created this balance can be
reached within the present generation
| of bushes men. If the state remains
as it is there will be many genera
| tionspass before this trade balance
/ can be realized.
The diminished area of Florida"
made by the creation Of South Flori
/ da would be so much more econonai-
cally wieldly that it would become a
better balanced political unit than II
now is in shorter time than might
! be conjectured. This last statement
! is expressive of the prevailing idea
that there is, really, in an economical
respect, a north and south Florida,
| with an undivided interest in the state
as a whole. 1t is simply a matter of
! the readjustment Of boundary lines
to make that which now actually ex-
lists, a real political unit.
The newly adjusted state, South
Florida, would have many and diff
ficult problems to solve-problems,
political, economic, industrial, finan-
cial, Of transportation, of debts, their
business reactions with the far mar
kets demanding its peculiar products
and for these reasons there is justifi
cation for the division of the state.
A careful and frank review of the
economic needs Of the two sections
| of the state, as drawn from business
men, statesmen, economists and pub
licists, which has been acquired and
who are especially equipped to form
opinions regarding the wisdom of the
division of the state, show a majority
- A.. Ill 80 ne ft1n foS 20
as being in favor of division of the
commonwealth of Florida.
The political and economic maps of
Florida, from the period from 1920 TO
date are Interesting. At first, the
state was divided into two political
units called counties and all area west
of the Suwanee river was named Es-
Gambia county and the area to the east
of this river was named st. Johns
county but two counties in the state.
It would have been "unthinkable" of
course, to preserve until now this
political division of the state. These
two counties have disappeared into
fifty-seven counties, consolidated in
to new and stronger units and within
definitely established boundary lines,
have developed their economic pow
ers.
Some of these older political sub
divisional units, inexperienced in self
government, have not developed their
resources nor increased continuously
their population, but in fact have de-
creased in inhabitants for many years
past and they resemble much the I'M
certain steps of a child just learning
- z%o i
longer in the way of the development
of the economical needs of the suth-
ern portion of the state. There are "a ,
cial and chronological. as well as po
litical reasons, why there should be
erected a new state for the people of
South Florida. The people of South
Florida form a considerable portion
of the inhabitants of the entire state.
In breaking the integrity of the
state, there is not actually a detach-
ment tending to the impairment OF
the two divisional units, on the other
hand the close chronological and geo
graphic relation of South Florida sug-
gests the wisdom of division. FIori-
Ga, as a name, cannot disappear from
the map because it becomes divided
into two political areas. The inter
dependent and interrelated interests
of the two states cannot be broken
in breaking the geograp hical bounda-
ries of the state. Public attention will
be more general should the state be
divided. There can be nothing to lose
The taxpaying power of the people
of South Florida is adequate for South
Florida. It will never fall below the
expenditures. There will not, at any
time be budget deficits In the for
nation of the constitution and in MAX
ing of the laws, of the new state of
South Florida, the legal ills and stat
utory infirmities created and main
tanned in the older state, will be for
gotten and South Florida, because CT
it's chronological difference, will APP
proach congress with an Irresistible
plan for government and definite OK
preston of its peoples superior poiit-
ical attributes which will commend to
that body the wisdom of erecting &
new state in the southern portion OF
the great state of Florida.-west Palm
Beach Tropical Sun.
Railroad Labor Waste.