The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-12-28
ATTORNEY GENERAL ELLIS AND
THE A. c. L. RAILWAY.
From last Fridays Daily.

committee of the Ocala board Of
trade, together with Hon. w. H. Ellis,
Encouragement of the state and rep
rcsentatives of various commercial
bodies throughout south Florida and
citizens, engaged in industrial enter
prise, discussed multitudious griev-
anceS againts the Atlantic Coast Line
railway.
These grievances embrace princi-
pally inadequate and unreliable
freight service and inferior condition
freight service, thoroughly inadequate
passenger service and inferior condi-
ton of rolling stock and equipment.
The mass of complaints submitted, the
standing and the character Of the
compliments, led the encouragement
on more than one occasion to observe
that the railway company could hard
ly make answer save by promise to
do better in the future and TO remedy
existing evils.
The meeting was a thoroughly in
formal one and was somewhat marred
by the fact that few people, even
members of the board of trade, knew
that it was to be held in the Law Ii
brary and that the supposed meeting
at the council chamber was at p.
m, was either a mistake or called
of somewhat uncermoniously.
Notwithstanding this fact and the
resultant confusion. there is every
reason to believe that a most impOr-
tant step has been taken for the re-
lief of an almost intolerable situa-
ton.
Acknowledgement Ellis evidenced a
most earnest interest in the work and
stated he would as soon as practical
BILE apply for writ of mandamus be-
fore the supreme court, compelling
the Atlantic Coast Line railway to
show cause why it should not per
form its duties as a common carrier.
Mr.. Ellis went on to say that the
railway companies seem TO have for
gotten their duties to the public and
that as public servants, when this
duty was forgotten their very reason
for existence ceased.
Mr.. H. L. Anderson, who is leading
the fight in behalf of the Ocala board
of trade, was the moving spirit in
the investigation of all the numerous
charges submitted and his questions
to each complainant brought out
mass of valuable evidence, which is
now being transcribed by the steno-
grapher and will be properly co,lated
for use by the encouragement.
Practically every interest was rep
resented; phosphate, naval stores,
fruit and truck shipping and mercan-
tile. The passenger service came in
for a very large share of adverse COM
ment. For instance, the special rep
resentatives of the Barlow. St. Pet
ersburg, Eustis and other boards of
trade, who expected to arrive at about
1 p. m, only managed TO get their
statements in nearly at the time of
adjournment.
To correct this Mr.. H. l.. Anderson
agreed TO go to Barlow on SATURDAY.
the 10Th, and there meet all the rep
resentatives and shippers from Fort
Myers TO Lakeland and intermediate
points.
Mr.. George MacKay stated he had
received a telegram from Mr.. Rawls.
who represents the big Camp Lum-
Der interests at Crystal River. stat
ing that he had started from home
about Z a. m, but was tied up" at
Juliette some four or five hours late
and that he could therefore not be
present.
Among the statements made, record.
ed by the Stenographer and which will
form part of the evidence to be used
by the encouragement were from
Mr.. lgO. vice-president of the Eustis
board of trade; Mr.. w. H. Johnson,
of the Barlow board of trade: Mr.. ].
ID. Bell. president of the ST. Peters
burg board of trade; Mr.. w. NJ. Gist.
of Mcintosh; Mr.. ]. NJ Meffert, of
Ocala; Mr.. J. B. Martin, of Ockla-
waha; Mr.. ]. A. Murrell. of Mcintosh:
Mr.. John H. Taylor, of Ocala; the
Clark. Ray, Johnson Co., Mr.. George
MacKay, of McIver & MacKay. Mr.. F..
c. Mcleod. of Kendrick; Mr.. E. p.
Ihagard, Mr.. J. r. Moorehead and a
number of other Ocala citizens. The
list is too long to go into details.
From a statement submitted it
would seem that conditions in all re-
spects could hardly be worse. Not
only is Ocala affected but all of south
Florida. Mr.. Johnson, Of Barlow. told
how many of the phosphate miners in
Polk county could not only obtain no
satisfactory service but intimated that
thnH ut