The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1947-12-05

turns it. Also, the process in the
state courts isS4stime consuming
!, because such suits are subject to
all .the rules Of appeal and re-
trial before the land a'may be
y, taken. '''' = -
This involved more delay and
our requirements were for i'm
+, mediate and conclusive action to
stop the land pirates and soulless
spectators in their tracks, to end
the poaching and the destruction
which was threatening an end to
this unique area which the whole
state and the nation had been at
tempting to preserve for Is
years. $50 > :%@ PES
We found that we could take
a short cut if we could go into
the federal courts where; con-
domination proceedings may fol-
low course that.is known as a
Declaration of Taking. Imme-
diately upon the filing of that
action the government ia Ike S
possession of the land and the
negotiations over the prices, or
the condemnation trial, take place
later. -
The federal government, at our
! solicitation, agreed to use its good
, offices to do just that. In order
that it might proceed it asked
the state to post the funds to meet
the sales prices growing out of
i negotiations and Sverdicts. The
sum was set at $2,000,O0O.
This agreement was reached
after negotiations between the
members of the Everglades Ma.
tional Park Commission and
Governor Caldwell and members
of his cabinet, which were follow
ed by negotiations between the
governor and the National Park
Service with our congressional
! delegation in Washington lied by
Senator Holland as intermediary
That agreement calls for a
complete National Park, There
will be no supplementary de-
mands for money. no continuing
state appropriations. In accept
ing the secretary wrote: IS agree
to create immediately the Ever
glades National Park on new
minimum, conditions, namely CD
release of mineral. rights in lease
free lands within, new minimum
area, ~ conveyance of school
lands, and, 80 supply of two mil
lion dollars as stated.
The state has met those condi-
tons, reserving to itself the right
to participate in oil Or. mineral
royalties, should the federRl gov
eminent develop any within the
arsa.at any future aime. ,ss>,l
I should like To- say'tkts'this
point that every step taken by
dut commiSsion, was. giSfn the
widest publicity. At the outset
we decided that since a subStan-
tial sum of money would be in
volved, as we'll as a large land
area, there was every prospect of
public misunderstanding of our
efforts unless we 'mdae every
move in the open. The commits
sion included eight newspaper
men, hor, men with newspaper ex-
perience, and. you may be sure
that they saw ito it that full &C
counts of ouf,, progress were adet
quateiy publicized. ~ 49,, =.
Before we went, TOT the tlegisIa-
ture to ask for the $2,000,O00 apAi
preparation we met twice with
Governor Caldwell and his cab
met in Tallahassee to obtain APP
prevail of our course. j. Tom
Watson, the States attorney gen.
eral, absented himself from both
meetings although I know that
he was in Tallahassee and prob
ably in the Capitol Building at
the time. He had personal
knowledge of the meetings and
their purpose. Again, when we
appeared before the sevral COM
mittees of the State Senate and
House of Representative to ask
approval of our appropriation
bill Tom Watson had knowledge
of the meeting and failed to put
in an appearance. The oil lease
spectators, however, were rep
rsentd and heard in opposition.
AS you' know, the appropria-
ton and companion bills were
favorably reported, and passed
unanimously by the Senate and
with only six dissenting votes in
the House.
All this time Tom Watson had
not offered one word of protest.
He was conspicuously absent from
the cabinet and committee meet
ingS at which he might have be-
come informed, and if, informed
he was, where he might have
protested. In fact. / am sure that
the House and the Senate would
have accorded him a hearing on
the floor, in view of the high Of
fetal position he holds had he os
requested.
In July of this year the attor-
ney general, now an avowed
candidate for the governorShip
and fully aware of the value of
publicity in achieving that am
bition. appeared before the sub
committee of the Public Lands
Committee of the House of Rep
resentatives in Washington to
express his opposition to con-