nd
here. In fact, it is my judgment that the cattle in Florida today, from
what I have read of the history of Florida, are not as good as they were
thirty years ago, and I am surprised, when I think of the facilities
furnished the cattle men of Florida by the land owners for the grazing
of their cattle, that they haven't taken any more interest in their
cattle than they have and tried to improve them.

Florida today, as never before, is attracting national attention as a
possible beef-producing state. The eyes of the investing public are
turned toward Florida, and it is my judgment that within the next five
years Florida will make greater strides in the development of the live
stock industry than it has ever made before. And I want here and now to
issue a warning to you gentlemen who are running your cattle on the open
ranges of Florida that you had better get busy and get control of what
land you expect to use as a cattle ranch, for if I mistake not,
outsiders are coming into this state who will buy or lease these lands,
put them under fence and inaugurate a system of live stock production on
an improved basis as compared to the present methods being pursued in
this state.

And in this connection I wish to state that I have discussed this open
range proposition with some of the largest land owners in Florida. They
tell me that they want to see Florida developed; they tell me they are
in line to lend their energies, their time and their money to anything
that will develop the State of Florida. After listening to them talk
this line of earnest progressiveness, I have put the proposition to them
just like it was put to us in Texas, and that is, formulate an equitable
leasing proposition, one that will safeguard the interests of the land
owner, and at the same time lend protection to the vested rights of the
lessee, and advertise that to the world. Let the people not only of
Florida, but the people outside of the State of Florida, know that they
can come to Florida and at a small rental cost, lease as many acres of
good grazing land as they have money to get cattle with which to stock
it, assuring the prospective lessee that they will fence the land
according to his desires and will build him a ranch house to live in;
that they will fence him a horse pasture to keep his saddle horses in;
will build him a dipping vat on the land, and where necessary will bore
wells and equip them with windmill and pump sufficient to furnis