Mr. MORSE. It is very similar. Mr. JENNINGS. And it is agreeable and acceptable, too? Mr. MORSE. I feel sure Congressman Anderson would support the Jones bill. Mr. JENNINGS. That is all; thank you. Mr. COOLEY. Thank you. (Thereupon, at 10:40 a. m., the committee went into executive session.) CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO SUMTER COUNTY, FLA. WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1958 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The committee met, pursuant to call, at 2 p. m., in room 1310, New House Office Building, Hon. Harold D. Cooley (chairman) presiding. Present: Representatives Cooley, Anfuso, Harvey, Simpson, Matthews, Hill, McIntire, Dixon, Jennings, Johnson, Dague, Quie, Grant, Gathings, Abernethy, and Hagen. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will please be in order. We are delighted to have our colleague, a former member of this committee, Mr. Herlong, here this afternoon, to speak in behalf of H. R. 10614. (H. R. 10614 and the report appear on p. 175.) The CHAIRMAN. I might say for the benefit of our visitors that Mr. Herlong served with the committee for many years and left the committee to go to another assignment. We have missed him very much, and I know all members of the committee join me in saying that we are delighted to have him here to speak in behalf of this bill. Mr. Herlong, will you make your statement now? STATEMENT OF HON. A. SYDNEY HERLONG, JR., A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE FIFTH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA Mr. HERLONG. I would like to make a statement in the way of a preface and then introduce these people who are here and have them make brief statements. The CHAIRMAN. Proceed. Mr. HERLONG. I would like to again express my appreciation to the chairman for his kind remarks and for the cooperation that the members of this committee, and the chairman, especially, have shown in my efforts to try to get this bill through. You have been more than kind in the giving of your time and I am certainly grateful to you. Mr. Chairman, the last time I testified there were several questions asked of me that I didn't have the direct answers to and so I have some of these answers at this time. I should like, first, however, if I may, to introduce for the record a telegram from the president of the Sumter County Farm Bureau, endorsing this bill. May I put that in the record? The CHAIRMAN. Without objection you may insert that in the record. (The telegram is as follows:) Hon. A. S. HERLONG, WILDWOOD, FLA., July 22, 1958. Washington, D. C.: Member, House of Representatives, The Sumter County Farm Bureau, comprising 1,000 families, urge your fullest cooperation in securing for Sumter County the tract of land in with Lacoochee project as site of the new State prison to be built in Sumter County. E. C. ROWELL, President, Sumter County Farm Bureau. Mr. HERLONG. Questions were also asked, I believe, by the gentleman from Colorado, Mr. Hill, in connection with why this property could not be given by one branch of the State to another branch of the State for the purpose of building a prison on it, and I quoted as well as I could at that time the State law. I have here the section of the State law which authorizes the construction of this State prison in Sumter County, Fla., and providing that the county furnish the land to the State for the prison without cost by fee simple deed. I should like, also, to have that in the record, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Without objection you may insert that in the record. (The section is as follows:) PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 944.07, FLORIDA LAWS, 1957 944.07-STATE PRISON; SUMTER COUNTY BRANCH ESTABLISHED.-The board of commissioners of state institutions is hereby authorized and directed to establish a branch of the Florida state prison in Sumter county, on lands which shall be conveyed to the state without cost by fee simple deed by the board of county commissioners of Sumter county, and the said board of county commissioners of Sumter county is authorized and empowered to convey such lands as herein provided. The board of commissioners of state institutions shall determine the situs of lands to be deeded to the state within Sumter county, where said institution shall be located which shall not be less than five hundred acres. Mr. HERLONG. Also, there were several questions asked about how much this land cost at the outset, and its value, of course, at this time. I gave a round figure as to the value at this time, but stated I did not know anything about the cost. I have, also, an exhibit which shows that the 5,246 acres of land in this area cost a total of $23,798, or an average cost of $4.53 an acre, in 1935. I should like to, also, have that inserted in the record, Mr. Chairman. The CHAIRMAN. Without objection it will be so done. (The table is as follows:) Selected data on acreage in Sumter County, Fla., acquired by Federal Government in condemnation proceedings Source: Spot check of records of the clerk of the circuit court, Bushnell, Fla. |