The Key West citizen., 1952-03-28
State Road Board Member
Repeats Charges Pressure
vas Brought To Build Road

Member Trusten P. Drake Thurs
day repeated objecticas to con-
struction of road along Dupont
property south of Silver Springs
because II cannot justify spending
a million dollars of public funds
: to save cne mile between Ocala
and the East Coast"
Drake was quoted previously by
the Ocala Star-B Banner as saying
Gov. Warren, State Supreme Court
Justice B. X. Roberts and Ed Ball
Jacksonville banker and head Of
the Florida DUPONT interests-tried
10 get him and Road Board Mem
Der Maric.1 G. Nelson, Panama
City, to build a link in State Road
40 that would bypass Silver Springs
and also q highway at Port St.Joe.
The Dupont interests own the
st. Joe Paper Co. at Port st. Joe
and also own property along the
proposed Silver Springs bypass.
Roberts has denied discussing
any roads with Drake since Drake
abethnhe i Road Department mem.
Der or since Roberts became a
Supreme Court justice.
Ball denied asking that q road
be built at Port st. Joe, and Mel
son said there had never been any
pressure On him from anyone.
e'sin his statement Thursday,
Drake said "Mr. Nelson has an
swered all the questions put to
him correctly. However, he will
hot deny that continual "persua-
sions and friendly discussions
have been had with him concern.
ing proposed roads in his West
Florida district. &
Drake also said Gov. Warren
was inserr0r regarding what War
rem referred to as q .dispropor-
tionateY amount Of money .ear-
marked for Marion County. where
Drake lives.
oeThe governor said he recon.
laeilded that Drake include i'm
prvement Of the road south of
Silver Springs in the 1859 budget
because u would provide another
accesst0 Silver Springs and short.
ed the trip for travellers from Day
it0na Beach and the east.
Drake refused to include the
pro.ect In bis districts road budg.
ct. -
Dfsle's statement Thursday in
cluded 4 letter to Road Board
Oh1irinan Alfred McKethan, dated
Feb. 81 1859, In which Drake said
''the expenditure oi one million
dollars TO zave one mile off Of
elaven miles would be controyer.
sial end subject to contest and
ruhiiclty.v
Gov Warren also said he rec.
ornmended to Nelson that "a is.
mile stretch Of road be constructed
near Port st. Joe because
elected officials and people Of the
area endorsed the project y Gov,
Waxte1 said he "receded and
pulled hack my recommendations
when he was advised that the
cost Of he road would not Justify
4 IN view Of funds available for
road holding,
brakes. earlier statement said
the governor sent a memorandum
to Mckethan which said .sdue To
the extraordinarily large amount
that Marion County had already
received In roads and bridges I
no contracts or extension Of con.
tracts should be let during the
current year for the county.
Warren said after Drake de.
fliped TO approve the read near
Oclla, he started studying the
.hnqeft and was surprised and
shocked to learn that Drake had
budgeted five million dollars ii
road and bridge construction for
Marion County this year"
The governor said the figure was
2 million dollars .'more than had
been done in the county during
The past three years and nearly
tour million dollars more than he
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