The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-02-23

lire.
Il point out again ,wh eovrtaet, b
Il point out again, however, that
to do this would in no way extend
or expand the present boundaries
of the Everglades National Park.
1.-The second point that I think
should be clearly understood be.
fore we argue the merits or de.
merits of the park system is that
in the present legislation oil rights
have been rather well protected.
In Public Law $40 of the 8lst Con.
IgresS we passed an act which stat.
ed among other things, as follows
Secretary is hereby authorized
within the aforesaid boundary and
with any funds made available for
that purpose to procure lands or
interests therein by purchase or
otherwise subject, however, to the
right of retention by owners OF
lands. interests in land, interests in
oil, gas. and mineral rights, or
royalties, their heirs, executors, ad.
minlStratorS, successors, or as
signs Hereinafter referred to as
"OwnerS"), at their election, of the
following:
% The reservation until October
g.: 1858, of all oil, gas, and min
eral rights or interests, including
the rights to lease, explore for, pro.
duce, store, and remove oil, gas,
and other MINERALS from such
lands: Provided, That if on or be-
fore said date, oil, gas or other
minerals are being produced in
commercial quantities anywhere
within the boundary set forth in
aforesaid deed numbered 1905
then in that event the time of the
reservation as set forth in this sub
section shall automatically extend
for all owners, regardless of whe-
Their such production is from land
in which such owners have an in
tereSt, for so long as oil, gas, or
other minerals are produced in
commercial quantities anywhere
within said boundary. To exercise
this reservation, the owners, their
lessees, agents. employees, and as
signs shall have such rights of in.
gress and egress to and from such
lands as may be necessary.
"A further protection is provided
for former owners of land that was
taken over by the Park with this
provisions: Subsection %. a
futher reservation of the right to
customary royalties. applying at
the time of production, in any oil,
gas, or other minerals which may
be produced from such lands at
any time before January l. 1885,
should production ever be authoriz-
ed by the Federal overnment or
its assigns.
Il am satisfied that if these two
outlined points are clearly under
stood before the controversy gets
started that any person can clearly
see that the present opponents of
the Everglades National Park who.
incidentally, are the same crowd
who have been bucking this Park
ever since il started. are in error;
first. when they claim that bill
which l am to introduce is an ex-
pansion bill designed to spread the
size of the park; second, that the
people who have oil rights and in
terestS are foreclosed from protect
ing themselves.
In your letter you state that
the Park has cost the taxpayers
and previous property owners g.
bout thirty million dollars, and I
hasten to say have no idea how
you arrived az that figure or Just
what il has reference 70.
The fact is that the State gave
most of the land to the National
Park Service in the hopes that a
fine attractive park could be built
for the bertermeut Of the nation
and the state and further appro-
pristed two million dollars TO help
the Park Service acquire other
land privately owned within the