The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1922-05-26
Away With FlimSy Excuses

Away With FlimSy Excuses
In The Times of Wednesday there
was published a letter signed "A
Grove Owner" telling of the expert
ence of man who attempted to es-
tablish a grove a few miles from
Tampa. He cleared the land. set out
his trees, placed an old bur faithful
man in charge, planted a few acres
TO watermelons, potatoes and other
truck, 10 help out the expense ac-
count, and returned TO his business |
in Tampa. Two weeks ago he visit /
ed the place again, and found his /
promising grove pasture ground for /
a herd Of fifty wild cattle. They had
broken down his fence. destroyed his
truck crops. and seriously injured his
young orange trees. The old care
taFer had chased the cattle in the
hot sun, until he was exhausted and
TO give up the job. The
planter had no redress. 1t might
have been difficult even to identify
the owner of the cattle. They might
have been miles away from their
home. If he had succeeded in find
ing the owner of the cattle and taken
his case into the courts he would
have been confronted with the cues
ton of legal fence, and it would
be mighty poor lawyer who could
not pick flaws with any fence in the
state of Florida. II is small conso-
lation TO a man who has seen his
property destroyed, his effort to add
TO the property values of the state
frustrated, to have some lawyer can
didate tell him The time is not ripe
for a no-fence law yet" In Gods
name. when will the time be ripe"
if not now? This is not an isolated
case. Such cases are happening all
over the state all the time About
one year ago a dozen settlers saw
heir homes destroyed by fires in Lee
county, and the fires were set 10 i'm
prove the pasturage for a new runty,
ick-eaten cattle. Every year thou
sands of acres are burned over for
he same reason, and every burning
educes the fertility of the soil
eventually Florida will be a great
'arren desert of unproductive sand
which will take many years to brin
Jack TO productive condition, if this
olicy continues. Florida sand needs
umus, which nature will supply
very season, but which we burn up
nst as regularly. How long will
his suicidal policy be allowed to con
nue. for the benefit of a few scraw-
ey cattle, for which there is no
larket outside the state? The
me is not ripe" and it never will
e ripe as long as we permit few
ituemen to dominate the state in
leir own interest, and grant them
1ecial privileges against the actual
'ttlers who are developing the state
he present policy is destructive Of
lie cattle industry itself, as the past
7ar's history proves The stock
en- are racing straight to destruction
: their opposition to tick eradica-
on and just, and reasonable fence
W. The no-fence law advocates
k only what is just and right and
ir. They ask for no special privil-
,es such as the stockmen have en-
yed for years, and now refuse to
We up.
we spend many thousands of dol
rs every year advertising the state
a trucking and fruit growing re-
on, and invite settlers. yet we per-
1t such outrages as "A Grove Own
~ so justly complains of. One such
ltrage will discount many dollars
orth of advertising. Let us place
lorida in a position of equal and ex-
t justice TO all men who come here.
neither they till the soil or make a
wing by raising cattle and hogs.
ct us raise no expensive barriers
the prosperity of any honest and
dustrious citizen, for on such the
lture progress of the state must de-
end. Do that and We can advertise
5 advantages with clear con-
Hence. The time is always ripe"
n laws which will enhance the pros
Gritty of the state and such laws are
issue in every campaign.-Tampa
ines.