The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1936-02-15
Commissioners Hear Protest
From Citizens On Activities !
Carried On By Plant Board
More Than Fifty Appeared
At Regular Meeting Of
County Board Conducted
Last Night

Last NlgnI
Indignant citizens, more than
SO in number of both sexes, APP
peared before the county commits
sioners last night protesting
against the activities of the state
plant board which, speakers said,
are killing all the trees in the
city.
Attorney T. S. Caro-, represent
ing the protestants, was the first
speaker. He prefaced his re-
marks by saying that the courts
order provided that citizens
should not interfere with the
spraying activities of the plant
board, and he would not touch on
that phase of the matter.
The much talked of payroll Of
the organization in this city was
practically nil, he said, as most of
the employees drawing the larger
amounts for services, were strang-
ers from Georgia and other states,
and sent most of their salaries
out of the city.
Hundreds of fruit bearing trees
have either been killed outright
or robbed of their fertility by the
application of the sprays used by
the board, he said, and the peo-
pie have been roused to such a
pitch of indignation that unless
something is done to alleviate the
conditions they will resort to the
deplorable expedient of cutting
down all the trees preferring this
method of speedy destruction of
their trees and shrubbery to the
mental torture experienced daily
by seeing the products of their
years of care and attention slowly
dying out from the activities of
the plant board.
Showed Value of Trees
Mr.. Caro- stated that most of
the beautiful fruit bearing trees
not only afforded restful shade
in the sultry days of summer for
the many families, but in hum
dreds of instances the fruit was
sold to assist in providing sus-
tenance for the family, and fruit
for children in need Of its health
giving properties.
Chester M. Thompson followed
MIR. Caro-. He cited many speci-
fic instances of destroyed fruit
trees, giving names of residents
and their home addresses, and
itemized lists of trees which have
been destroyed. He stated that
despite all that has been said in
defense of the plant board opera
tons, the fluid used is poison to
trees and fruit and made the as
founding statement that not five
per cent of the fruit trees in Key
West, especially the plum trees,
are bearing.
He concluded his talk with an
appeal to the commissioners to
take some steps toward bringing
about a better condition, always
keeping within the law, as said by
Mr. Caro-, but take some steps to
preserve from utter destruction
the trees which remain.
Termed Fluid As Poison
Sam Hart made an imprisoned
appeal for surcease from the
complete destruction of the trees
in Key West. He said that the
fluid used by the plant board was
poison to every thing. Not only
did it remove blossoms and fruit
from the trees, and bark from
them, but would remove paint.
He cited the case of Mr..
Kemp whose newly completed
boat was in the yard where the
spraying activities were carried
on. The boat was a beautiful
thing, and had been painted
about three weeks. The fluid not
only removed the paint from that
section of the vessel it had
touched, but actually had eaten
cut the heads of the nails, he
said.
I'VE have no hog plums, no
lines" Mr.. Hart continued, and
CONTINUED on Page Four)