The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-04-05
LAKELAND EVENING TELEGRAM, TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 1921

able asset. They must be adequately
supported. and / trust you will give
them the needed financial assistance
Our greatest problem, however, is
with our elementary schools. 1t IL
the common schools where the great
bulk of our future citizenship Is be
ing trained for the duties of life.
These common schools, many of them
E u CO FIR t"t ~ ~ c".7"tG-', ere
/ playing q large part in bui ding IN
the social life of the community. The
elevation Of farm life to the highest
standard it deserves will come only
through proper education, and ] be,
speak for our common chOols your
very serious consideration. | would
/ like tC see our schools. as far as pos
sihlc, divorced from politics. School
officials should be chosen not be-
cause of political pull but because
of their ability to deal sufficiently
with educational problems.
! The fathers who framed our Con-
! stitution thought enough of the inn
portance of education to create a De-
partment of Education, and place at
its head cabinet officer. the state
superintendent of schools. | am leav-
ing to him the specific recommended
items as he may make TO you looking
to adoption of forward-l looking poll
/ Cfes along educational lines.
APPORTIONMENT OF THE LEGIS-
LATIVE MEMBERSHIP
The Constitution limits the member
ship Of the senate to thirtY-two, and
that of the house to sixty-eight mem .
bers. 1t requiresa reapportionmenI
Of the membership at ten year inter .
walls. The trainers of our Censtitu-
ton, looking down the years, saw the
/ probability of more rapid growth 90
resources and increase of population
in different sections of the state, and
they wisely provided that those sec
tiCDs showing increase OF popula .
tons should be equitably represented
in the legislature. ,.t..e.i.
We have in one senatorial district
as many as six counties, with large
aggregate resources and population
of nearly one hundred thousand,
which is rapidly increasing This
particular territory comprising six
counties has but one senator, and
each of the counties one representa-
tive in the lower house. There are
other instances which might be called
to the attention of the legislature, al
NEST as striking. whereas there arc
many other counties in the state. with
relatively small populations and re-
sources. which now have one sena-
tor and two representatives Apar.
fIpn1 fbn nIoip lnfD az
/ titution requiring re-apportionment
every ten years, it is just and fair
that the membership of the legisla-
( tIre should be more jutly and eauit-
ab.y distributed, giving to the various
counties of the state a just appor-
tiCnment of il membership in the law
making body.
AGRICULTURE AND LIVE STOCK
We have about thirty-fivc million
acres of land with only very small
percentage OF il under cultivation
/ There Is no state in the union which
can show prcftably so large a va
rety CT crops as Florida. We arc es-
pecialIy adapted to the DEVELOPMENT
of the live stock industry Our eli
mate. in this respect is ideal. and
nutritious grasses for pastorage grow
abundantlt. The real need of the far
mer is to be found in piarketin ing fa-
cilities, We can grow the crops, but
not always dispose of them 70 the
best advantage. There is but one sue
cessful method of promoting agricu'-
turc. 1t is to make farming pay
Some system of cooperative market.
ing would no doubt prove beneficial
Cooperative selling agencies have
been successfully tried in other sec
tions. The proper support of the Blu