The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-05-02
ATTORNEY MARKS
CLARIFIES WATER
SUPPLY MATTER

! Continued from Page One)
only as a pecaution on the water
problem.
"The Overseas Board has taken
cognizance on a number of occa-
sions of the Importance of water
TO the Florida Keys, the Bridge
District, the City of Key West
and Monroe County and in sew
cral instances, by resolution, in
structcd its chief engineer, B. M
Duncan, to prepare the necessary
data for the Florida Keys Aque-
duct Commission and give all his
; assistance and cooperation pos
sible Water is as essential to the
success full operation of the Over
: seas Bridge District and its prop
critics as it is to the City of Key
West and the express purpose of
the Overseas Bridge District in it's
interest in water is to desire to
see water brought to Monroe
County, regardless of who brings
it.
"The Overseas Bridge Commits
| sion has also taken cognizance of
the fact that even though the wa
ter project may be on the approx
ed list of the Public Works Adj
miniStratiOn, nevertheless there is
/ no definite guarantee that the wa
ter mony will be allotted and it
has recently come to my attention
while in Washington that there is
on the approved list of the Pub
lie Works Administration List of
Florida Projects totaling the sum
of Thirty Million Dollars, while
Florida, based on it's proportion
of the previous loans, would be
allotted the sum of approximately
Six Million Dollars. In addition
to this. the water project would
aggregate third of the entire
sum allotted for Florida. We do
not wish to convey the impress
sion, however, that the water
project has one chance in five of
receiving an appropriation. be-
cause it is our belief that the
government looks favorably upon
this project and that it will ulti-
mately receive the appropriation
requested, but we do call your at
tention to the fact that there is a
possibility that this allotment
may not come down or the appro-
priation be made 4It is also pos4
sible that the Public Works ADJ
ministration may not obtain an
the funds requested from Con-
gress, in which event less funds
will be available for approved
projects.
1--WE are, therefore, confronted
with the possibility that suppose
the Florida Keys Aqueduct water
project appropriation or allot-
ment is not made, where would
we be? The Bridge Commission
would then be helpless to do any
thing since we do not have any
authority under the Bridge Act
to go farther than Big Pine Key,
nor do we have authority to
handle the water project.
For further information, the
Overseas Bridge project never
received a grant of As per cent
on the original loan of $3,620,000
and this grant alone would total
$l,620,000 There is a good pos
sibility that Congressional action
could be obtained to turn back. to
the Bridge District this grant
money, provided the Bridge Dis
trict used it for a worthwhile
project, such as water or the
finishing of the roads from Big
Pine Key to Key West
LAS l understand, it is not the
intention of the Bridge Board to
handle water in any manner
whatsoever, nor take any action
until the application of the Flor
ida Keys Aqueduct Commission
has been approved or rejected,
but it is the intention of the
Bridge Commission to be in a
position to legally act and pro-
tect the water problem in the
event the appropriation for wa
ter is not made on the Florida