Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1905-01-09
COMMISSION HAS
GRANTED RATES
Movement Inaugurated by Baird
Hardware Co. Two Years Ago
AAs nov sEEN EFFgorED


Railroad Commissioners, in a Recent
Session, Ordered Reduction IN Rates
Which Will Mean Big Thing for
Interior Cities.
! The interior cities of Florida which
have fought the railroad companies in
regard to rates have won their point,
and it is a good one, because it gives
those cities which desire to conduct
wholesale business an equal advantage
with jacksonville
In February, 1903, She Baird Hard
ware Company, realizing what they
considered discrimination in freight
rates on certain articles, began the
fight, and to them the credit belongs
During that month this firm filed with
the Railroad Commission petition
citing the apparent injustice, and re-
questing that comparative reduction
be made. The Ocala Board of Trade,
recognizing the importance of this
matter, became party to the petition
at its informal hearing, when the petit
tion was filed for information and
reference by order of the commission.
For nearly two years this petition
occupied one of the dark pigeon-holes
of the commission in Tallahassee, but
the Baird Hardware Company, through
w. B. Taylor, with persistent effort
did not fail to remind the members of
the commission at various intervals OF
its Importance, with the result that it
was not allowed to suffer the fate OF
the dead. An order was finally issued
calling a meeting of the commissioners
in Jacksonville on December /, 1901,
ITO consider the adoption of amend
ments to Classification No. l." and
affording an opportunity to all railroad
companies and common carriers
and show cause, If any they had, why
the proposed amendment should not
be adopted, The amendment referred
TO was the amendment offered by Mr..
Taylor, and it will prove gratifying iA-
formation that the same was adopted.
Immediately after the organization
OF the Gainesville Board Of Trade,
that organization joined the effort, and
at the meeting held in jacksonville at
the specified time, Mr. Taylor, repre-
senting the Gainesville Board Of Trade,
and delegatian from the 0cala Board
OF Trade, we're present. Mr. Taylor
was the only representative giving in
evidence that submitted by him cover
ed thirteen legal cap pages, typewFit.
ten. 1t had the desired effect, for the
have issued Order Ne
So, directing that the amendment be
and that the railroads place
same in effect February lst.
What the o der Covers.
This order covers agricultural ina
plements, blinds, doors and frames.
earthenware, sash and skylight frames,
stoves and ranges, in carloads. The
reductions, which will prove interes-
ing reading, are as follows; Agricul-
tural implements, from 25 cents to Is
cents per hundred pounds sash, doors
and blinds, from % cents to 10 cents
per hundred earthenWare, from 81
cents 70 Is cents per hundred sash
and skylight frames, from % cents 10
l0eeuts per hundred stoves and hol-
low ware, from 80 cents to ~ and
fourth cents per hundred.
Merely Forestep.
While the amendment covers only
these articles, II is merely forestep to
what will follow, and it is calculated
that this action Of the commission
will be worth millions Of dollars to the