The Pensacola journal., 1905-01-06
ABLE ARGUMENT AGAINST
UNJUST DISCRIMINATION.

Under the heading Seaport VS.. In
land Cities" the Ocala Banner ad
vances the following able argument
for an equalization of freight rates
claiming that determinations exis;
between the cities located on the sea
coast and those not so fortunately
situated:
The readers of this paper who are
as old as the writer can well remem.
Der when our rivers were alive with
floating palaces" they
were often called-and traffic was 50
great as even to suggest to the presi.
dent and Mr.. Lawson pointers ON the
strenuous" and ''frenEied" life.
The history of our Mississippi river
steamers forms a large part of our
early literature and was so peculiar
to itself as to give a distinct coloring
to our national life.
IL has not been a great many years
ago since a magnificent feet ofssteam.
ers piled the ST. Johns river.
The Savannah, Chattahoochee, Flint
ApalachicOla; and. indeed, all our
rivers, told the same story-along the
whole of them were busy scenes of
activity.
When the railroads appeared upon
the scene they found freight rates 81
ready established between all seaport
and river cities and it was voluntary
act on their part when they entered
into competition with them.
The competition was so effectual as
to almost completely destroy river
traffic and the palace passenger steam
er-once the pride of our principal
rivers-now no longer forms par5 of
our Industrial economy.
Now, It does seem to us that if the
railroads can carry freight as cheap,
and even cheaper, between seaport
and river cities than can steamers,
they ought TO be able to carry freight
just as cheap between inland cities.
Yet this is not the practice.
On the contrary, inland cities are
made to pay higher freight rates in
order that the railroads may meet the
water competition; and, acting upon
this arbitrary and unjust practice. our
railroad commissioners make ali sea-
port and river cities competitive bas-
ing points.
All this is manifestly unjust to the
inland cities and ought not to be the
case; and, until it is corrected, ties
our hands and makes it simply mat
ter Of impossibility to build up a city,
or an enterprise of any considerable
Importance, in the interior.
Until this practice is checked we in
the interior are helpless, and, IL we
want to do business are compelled 10y
tariff eXactiOns, 10 follow the advice
Of the Metropolis, pull up stakes and
move TO Jacksonville or some other
seaport city.
But why abandon a section so rich
as ours and comprising a territory
seven hundred miles IN length by a
hundred miles in width?
1t seems to US that the railroads
are standing in their own light and
the quicker they reverse their tactics
the better it viii be for them.
II is within the power of the rail-
roads to build up as great cities in the
interior as there are on the seacoast,
and the traffic viii be all theirs-there
will be mo division of the spoils.
Every pound OF freight coming and
going viii be grist for their own mill
with no one else sharing the toll.
Why cannot our railroads be wise?
And why do our railroad commits
ssoners tolerate the manifest freight
Determinations as exist between sea-
port and inland cities?