The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-09-25
THE HERALD BARKS AGAIN AGAINST MONROE
COUNTYS GETTING BACK IT'S ACREAGE

The Miami Herald is barking again against the re-
turn to its rghful owners of the Florida Keys acreage
aside from the Overseas Highway rightof-way by the
Overseas Road and Toll Bridge District Commission with
the unanimous approval of the State Board of Admins
tration.
Thursday, the Herald published an editorial under
this headne Cabinet Should Save Key Lands For Use
of Public
That's just what the cabinet did in approving the
transfer of the lands to the people of Monroe County
who put lien their property to obtain money to buy
the land And what does the Herald think Monroe County
is going to do with the lands? They can't be sold they
must be kept for the pubcs at all time Some of the
lands may be leased to highest bidders the Herald
may bid of them if it wishes to - but most of
them will be maintained parks parkways and beach
which the Herald employees may visit at any time they
wish without having to pay a penny.
Would the Herald prefer for Monroe County to
charge for entrance into the parks Dade County charg
to into Crandon Park? Monroes parks are free for
the public to visit them whenever it wishes. The writer
OF the Herald editorial may make trip any time he wish
to Bahia Honda Park which has been characterized
as the most beautiful land and scape in the world
The Herald, in its barking, persisted in calling the
1947 Papy act a "loca BILL" though the Herald had
been told by The Citizen it is general BILL Attorney
General Richard Erwin drew up that bill when he
the State Road Departments attorney and Erwin told
the State Board of Administration last Tuesday the law
is sound and will stand up in any court"
The way John Kgore, the Heralds Tallahassee
man. tried to explain away the SBAs approval pitt
full Kgore too strays from the facts He said that the
1947 law conflict with 1915 lease-purchase agree
ment between the Overseas Bridge Commission that
time with the "State Road Department" The socaled
agreement, which the Bridge Commission didn't have the
power to make under provisions of Reconstruction Fin
Corporation indenure, not with the State Road
Department but with the State of Florida.
Who constitutes the State of Florida from an execu
tive viewpoint? The State Board of Administration, Gov
ernor Johns Comptroller Gay and State Treasurer Lar
the who approved the deed Gin fairness
the people of Monroe County"
The Miami Daily News also put in it's squeak about
giving back the land people of Monroe County who
bought from the FL rida East Coast Railway This is
the News that Charlie Mendoza gave up subscribing
for because he said he could find in the
Conchs baseball teams waoping a Miami high school
nine.
The major credit for getting back the lands goes to
Representative Bernie c. Papy He went to Tallahassee
time and time again, at his expense, to talk and
work in behalf of the people of Monroe County to get
back what belonged to them But many others helped too
particularly members of the Bridge Commission The Ct
zen did its part insistenty and consistently. Copies of
The Citizens editorial last Saturday about the acreage in
question lay the desks of the SBA front of them at
last Tuesdays meeting when the question of the transfer
was discussed.