The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1906-03-09
WANTS A LITTLE MORE LIGHT.

fore the commission was established.
1t distinctly stated that the Ocala
Banner if it did not lead. it at least
joined heartily in the movement for
the establishment of the commission
If the shippers had been enjoying
prosperous times on account of cheap
freight rates this paper would hardly
have been perverse enough to have
clamored for the establishment of the
commission.
! We were innocent enough to be-
lieve that the establishment of the
commission would result in great ben
eft to the. people, SO fought for its
creation.
The Recorder says that we are too
indefinite in our remarks. Yet, we
mentioned times, names and places. Is
there any other way to be more def
mite?
We are told by our esteemed con-
temporary, whose editor we believe is
secretary to the board, that 'the same
| system is in existence today except
that they have been reduced in many
| cases."
We have interviewed our merchants
and vegetable shippers and we have
! yet to find a single man who says
that freight rates have been reduced.
Only few minutes ago we hap
| pened to see Mr.. George Close, one of
the largest shippers in this section,
and he says that his freights were
higher last year than in any other
year since he has been in the vegetable
business, a. period of twenty years or
more. Why do these men tell us these
things if they are not true, and why
are they, one by one, abandoning their
farms and going out of business?
The Recorder again says that the
Ocala Banner is mistaken if it thinks
that the railroad commission prevents
the railroads from giving Ocala such
advantageous rates as will make this
little city become prosperous.
When did the Ocala Banner ever
make, such ridiculous statement?
While it is not the business of the
railroad commission to do such an un-
gracious act, it is the business of the
commission to see that Ocala and all
other inland towns are given an
equitable freight rate Is it fair to
Ocala to have a barrel of flour or a
barrel of beer shipped from Jackson
vile to st. Petersburg cheaper than
from Jacksonville to Ocala? But this
is the condition of things that con-
fronts the Ocala merchants.
Is it fair to the OcaIa merchant to
have a barrel Of flour or barrel of
beer shipped from Jacksonville to
Ocala. from Ocala to Silver Springs.
there loaded aboard boat and haul
ed half way back to Jacksonville for
cheaper price than if shipped to
Ocala direct?
Yet, this is the condition of things
that the Ocala merchant confronts.
Is it fair to the Ocala merchant TO
find that barrel of -four or a barrel
of beer is shipped to persons residing
at Mcintosh and other points within
radius of less than twenty miles of
Ocala as cheap as it can be shipped to
them from Ocala.
Yet, we are told by persons living
at these places and by the merchants
of Ocala that this is true.
The Recorder wants to know what
this paper means by water competi-
tion
We are told that Jacksonville and
Tampa and st. Petersburg and. indeed,
all the seaport cities, are given lower
freight rates than the inland cities be-
cause these places are located on the
sea coast and are given these low
rates in order to meet steamship rates,
which is entirely unfair to the inland
cities that are entirely dependant up
on the railroads for their existence.
We are told that the Florida rail-
road commission has nothing to do
with fixing inter- state rates. We sup
posed. that having been connected with
the press of this state for nearly for
~ years, and more or less connected
with public affairs. that even the Mad
ison Recorder ought to have known
that we were aware that the Florida
railroad commission has no authority
to fix rates for Georgia, or North Car
DINA, or Virginia, or TO usurp the
powers of the interest railroad
commission, but We We're innocent
enough 10 believe that when they saw
the industry of whole state perish
ing on account of unequal and excess
sive freight charges, that they would
bring this fact to the attention of the
interstate commission and have in
fluence enough to have the same adj
justed.
If, as the Recorder intimates, the