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Iwumewahh
leaderehip of Florida, partly beoeuee it ie important that the
Governor make frequent reporte to you of the affaire of etate,
and partly because of the opportunity to afforde me to thank you
for your continuing and effective help.
It in very much on w mind that when I laet spoke in'ranpa
it was to many of you met here to launch a campaign for the adeption
of the College Building Amendment. It wee the Chairman of the
Education Oceudttee of this organisation who accepted the chairman-
ehip or that campaign, and it was largely the membership of thia
organization which bore the brunt of battle.
He won a great victory for florida but we were not waging and
did not win a "war to end all ware." The war for progreee ie never
won. In thie particular inetance our objective waa not to borrow
money. Our objective wae not to build buildings. Our obJective
wae, and ie, to make progreee in the constant battle to create,
through improved and increased higher education, a better world in
which to live. In thie battle new college buildinge are not goals;
they are weapons. Once we have taken the victory of November 5
and out of it forged theee new weapone, the tack of making effective
uec of them in the war for progreee will begin.
Higher education, in its eize, coat and complexity, poeee
problems in kind and degree which we have never before faced. Where
we took 115 years to build three univereitiea, we are building three
more, plus a college, plus 25 Junior collegee, in a decade. Even if
these new inetitutione could be built upon the relatively eimple linee
of collagen of agriculture and arte the teak would be exceedingly
great by reaeon of size alone. When, in fact, we build for all these
and in addition for arena of knowledge not yet defined, the teak
becomea infinitely greater.
The presence of the Preeident of the United States in Florida
over thie weekend, while coincidental, in closely related to the
effort we are making in the field of higher education. The occasione
for hie visit have We Nicene for all the nation, but
particularly for us.
he cones here to inspect Cape Canaveral, Aserica's point of
contact with the universe. Because it is located in Florida we
will never be the same. Because it is located in Florida in a few
short years events are occurring here, changes are being made,
which otherwise might have required a generation -- if they occurred
at all. Because it is located in Florida a type of people is taming
here, a demand for education is made here, a speed of development is
required here, which otherwise would have been unthinkable.
Xe comes here to inspect Strike Command. Certainly I have no
knowledge which would pernit no to foretell the perlsnency or the
extent of the couldtuent of the Department of Defense to the
develcpeent of Strike at lacDill. Yet everyone here is awake to
the possibilities that can flow from the establish-lettin our state
of the control point for America's world wide responsibilities.
He comes here to commemorate the beginning of commercial
aviation, the growth of which has changed the destiny of our state.
When I reflect that it was only 50 years ago that this new dimension
in time and space became an effective force in human affairs, and
that it was only five years ago that the first ecumercial Jet flight
in the united states. from New York to hisni, took place, I as
shocked into a reilisation that there is a new and to a great degree
controlling dimension in the development of this atate-e fourth
dimension or a fifth disension--which requires us to rethink all our
thoughts about the future of Florida. Just as the scientists who
place an astronaut in space must rethink every ale-ant of his activity
and equipment in a world in which there is no gravity.
The Florida of today is at the same latitude and longtitude
that it has always been: the climate is the same; the sane oceans
wash our shores. But the mind of man is changing the world of which
our State is a part, and the challenge in this decade for the
leadership of Florida, both in and out of government, is to comprehend
the nature, the degree and the significance of these changes. It is
beyond our power to control nest of these changes, but as the sailor
uses the wind to drive his towards his goal, regardless of from whence
it blows, so we must use the new forces of the mind, or be driven
like so much flotsam, helpless before the wind.
We are very fortunate that at such a time many of the problems
that have plagued Florida for so long are being solved. The fruits of
the labors of many people over many years are being realized, and
Florida has arrived at that stage in its development when many of
its porblams are susceptible of solution, and we have the means and
the will to solve them.
For example: tuberculosis. In spite of improved methods of
detection the known incident of tuberculosis is dropping, and treatment
is more rapid and effective. is have consolidated the work of four
18 hospitals into three, and prospects for reducing this number to two
are good.
In the field ofasntal retardation we are still expending
facilities, and must expand them further. But we are drawing abreast
of the proper handling of this problem. Techniques in treatment and
training alengmbhg bhetbest in the nation, and adequate custodial
facilities are within reach. At the new Sunland Training Center to
be built in Dade County an advanced diagnosis is to be dovsIOped
which will permit many retarded children whose only prospect now is
an institution to remain in the love and security of the home and
still achieve maximum progress -- without destroying the family.
Florida can take great pride in its progress in this field.
Our prison system, which has been chronically and dangerously
over-loaded, will be expanded in this biennum to a sufficient capacity.
A new reception center will provide for classification of new
prisoners to insure maximum recovery of these wasted human resources-
at, in the long run, less cost to the state and to society generally.
The same story can be told in the fields of mental health,
forestry, and conservation. The program of this State in the field
of outdoor recreation and conservation assures us that being outdoors
in Florida will always be the unique and wonderful experience that
has made this State a mecca for people all over the world.
In the field of secondarya education much remains to be done,
but we are about the task. for the first time in history we
appropriated enough some, for textbooks - t1..000,000. Ibo
I;
increased appropriations for public schools over the preceding
biennium was $100,000,000, and our teachers are now drawing salaries
in excess of the national average. Increased money is no guarantee
of improved education, but it is an indispensable tool to acquiring
it - and Florida has provided the tools.
Our public health program, largelylunder Federal impetus, is
expanding rapidly. The State has moved to provide adequately for
medical care to the-aged indigent through implementation of the
[err-Hills Act. Encephalitis research has been speeded. A new
anthropod laboratory is being established on the Gulf Coast.
Our tourism promotion program should be expended, but its
quality is good. Our World's Fair Exhibit will be a great credit to
the State. In these areas the cooperation of local government and
private industry with the Development Commussion and with each other
has multiplied all our efforts.
There is much more to the same story to be told. All of it
costs money. I think that we can rejoice that although-Florida is
in the tap ten states in size in the nation, it is in the bottom
twenty in per capita taxation, state and local.
Our agricultural economy is sound. We still have problems,
like freezes, British preferences, Georgia restrictions, and
competition, but farmers in Florida are competent and on tap of their
problems. The Commissioner of Agriculture is providing outstanding
leaderihip.
we have a tremendous unrealized potential in the field of
industrial development. As transportetions improvement and population
shirts increase our market, and classic natural resources lose their
importance, there-are to limiting factors on our industrial growth.
The Cross florida Barge Canal, when completed, will put us on all
fours with the most favored areas in the country.
not not tell you a story. I was talking in Japan with the
president of Sony Corporation. He had told me about their expansion
program in particular, about a net plant they had put in Shannon,
Ireland. That struck me as strange, so I asked him why they selected
Ireland for s new plat. His enseer ess ss old as saleenenship,
end as new as tomrnoe: 'neosuse they asked us to."
All over this nation Illustrislists are planning the growth
and expansion or their companies. He hsve much to offer then, and
a responsibility to let them knou it.
I would like to concentrate, during the lest year or this
administration, with you, on industriel developssnt. we should
cover this country, like en insureme ssleensn covering his assigned
ares, telling our story to good prospects. Two weeks ago we had a
group or business men es guests or the Development Omission covering
the Stste, visiting cities end towns fro- Pensecole to Key Vest,
meetim with our business men end looel lenders. A eeomd group will
be here Dene-her 3. This trickle shoan be the beginning or s torrent.
#1!
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PAGE 3
it blows, so we inust use the new forces of the mind, or be driven like so much flotsam, helpless before the wind, 'de are very fortunate that at such a time many of the problem that have pla5ued Florida for to Jong are be&E solved. The fruitD of the labors of anxy people over neny years are being recalled, ord Florida has arrived at that stage lo its development when hany of its poebieme are susceptible of solution, and we have the means and the will to solve them. Por aramples tuberculosis, lo spite of improved methods of de tection the snown incident of tuberculosis le dropping, and treettient is more rapid ind effective. le have consolidated the work of four PB hospitals into three, and prospects for redue Lns this number to two are good, in the field of whtal retardation we are etill expandimg facilities, and must expand them further. But we are drawing abreast of tha proper handlirg of this problem. Techn1ques Ln treatment and train118 ameagmthg beetbest in the nation, and adequate custodial faci]ities are within reach, At the new Sunland Prainius Center to be built in Dade Coinby an advanced diagnosis is to be developed which will permit many retarded children Whose only prospect now is an institution to remain in the love and security of the home and still achieve marinum progress -without destroying the family. Florida can take great pride in its progress Ln this field. Our prison system, which has been chronically and dangerously over-loaded, will be expanded in this biennuni to a aufficient capacity. ;, new reception center will provide for classification of new prisoners to insare maximum recovery of these wasted haren resources-at, in the long run, less coat to the state and to society generally. The same story can be told in the fields of i.ental health, forestry, and conservation. The program of this State in the field of outdoor recreation and conservation assures us that being outdoors in Florida will always be the unique ind wonderful experience that has nade this State a mecca for people all over the world. In the field of second1rya education much remained to be done, but we are about the taak. For the first tLme in history we appropriated enough nioney for textbooka -$10,000,000. The
PAGE 4
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PAGE 5
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