Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-16
BY j. RUSSELL YOUNG,

stan Correspondent of The Star.
BELLE GLADE, Fla, February 10
No ma..er what other impressions
President-elect Hoover may have re-
ceived during his long journey through
the Lake Okeechobee district. which he
entered upon yesterday morning and
the last leg of which he is on today, he
has been convinced that the people Of
this wide area are willing to leave the
fate of the proposed legislation for the
control of floods completely in his
hands.
He has been given ample evidence of
the confidence the people of this area,
where there was such an enormous loss
of life as well as property loss by floods
following the hurricane last Fall, have
In him as result of this personal in
Spection, and he has been made to feel
that they expect him to influence Con-
gress sufficiently to cause the Federal
Government to undertake the solution
of the Lake Okeechobee problem.
Should Act Quickly.
What he has seen and heard during
his inspection trip regarding the devas-
tation caused by the last food has
caused him to feel that the Govern
ment should act quickly for 1umani-
tartan reasons But whether he agrees
with the people of this State that the
Federal Government should stand the
whole Of the $10,000000 which Gen.
Jadwin, chief of the Army Engineers,
estimates flood control and navigation
development would cost, he has not yet
indicated.
He listened to speeches on this SUBJ
ject at a dinner given in his honor at
Clewistcn, when Gen. Jadwin said he
thought the Government should pay
about $4,000,o0 of the estimated total
and Representative Reid of Illinois,
chairman of the flood control commit
tee Of the House, argued In favor Of the
Government standing about $6,000,0 900
OF the total, while some of the State
ofi1cials and local citizens spoke ardent
~ in favor Of the Government assuming
the entire burden.
Farm Progress Surprising.
Mr.. Hoover has been surprised at
what already Is being done in the mat
ter Of agriculture in spite of the handi-
caps. He has personally examined the
mucksoil Of the Everglades, which he
has been assured is the most fertile
soil in this country, and which can
make more than 100000 acres of land
ia the okeechobee district the most val
TABLE from the agricultural viewpoint. in
the United States, when 1t has been
adequately drained and protected from
future floods.
His trip has taken him through areas
where thousands Of acres Of sugar cane
and tomatoes and beans were grow
ing, as well as many other acres Of
other vegetables. His trip has carried
him almost completely, around Lake
Okeechobee itself, which is, next to
Lake Michigan, the largest body of
fresh water wholly within the United
States. He has paused to view the
various canals running from the lake.
These had been intended not to help
drain the area, but to serve navigation,
but from what Mr.. Hoover has learned
on this trip, these canals have not been
successful in either case, despite the
fact that local sections during the past
20 years have spent more than $50, 000-
600 in digging them.
After luncheon yesterday afternoon
q hotel at Brighton, Mr. Hoover
0nd his party visited the large dairy
farm of Glen Curtiss one of the pioneer
aviators. Later the newly constructed
sugar refinery at Clewiston was in
SpeeUe0 py Mr. hoover. Earlier In the
day he had passed another sugar re-
finery, but did not visit It. It was
nearly o'clock when the long cara
van Of cars, which had started from
Belle Isle at $3.50 o'clock yesterday
morning, pulled up at the Clewiston
Inn, where the party, with the excep-
ton of the President-elect and Gov.
Carlton Of Florida, who occupied the
home Of P. q. Bishop OF Clewiston,
spent the night More than 242 miles
had been covered. but Mr. Hoover APP
peared to be not In the least wearied
or fatigued Is result Of the long
Journey.
Mr.. Hoover appeared an hour later
in the seat of honor at the dinner
given in his honor by some of the citi-
zens of Ciewiston at the Clewiston Inn.
One Of the interesting features OF the
meal was the fact that, with the ex-
cepsion Of the bread and coffee. every
article Of food served came from the
so-called Everglades section. The menu
included grapefruit, bass, quail and
turkey, beets, lettuce. tomatoes, and
Strawberries and cream.