The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-03

Nobody will dispute the fact that reduction to
three cents mile from four cents is conducive to a
large saving by the public yet an act of the Legsla
ture could have effected this benefit without cost to
the people,
For many years the j., r. and X. w. Railway
maintained three,cent fare, but shortly after the
road was bought by the Plant System the fare
raised to four cents a mile, and the Railroad Com
mission permitted such raise. The rate of fare on
the G. S. and F. was three cents mile, fixed so by
the management, and maintained without order from
the Commission.
The Florida East Coast Railway reduced the
fare to three cents mile several months before
the less famous ukase of the Commission
that passenger tariff in Florida must be assessed at
three cents mile
So far no defender of the Commission has brought
forward anything definite than the reduction OF
passenger fare of the railways, which REFORM
stated could have been accomplished by act of the
Legislature.
The passenger rate is minor matter in COMPARE
son with the freight rate. While many are affected
by the former, yet all touched by freight rates
1t is the who pays the BILL and the shipper
of fruits and vegetables is put under handicap
that forces him out of business.
ouch Is Che contention OF Cne Ocala banner, ana
in spite of the enmity between that paper and its
contemporary the Star, the latter agrees with the
Banners opinion, saying: "The Commission has been
miserable failure in the matter of securing just
and equal freight rates to the thriving inland towns
of Florida" 1t asks: "Can nothing be done to
freight rate and declares that is tired of asking
the question:" adding that 81" looks like farce to
vote for Railroad Commission candidate"
The Banner in its bill of particulars, names many
who have been driven out of the truck-growing bust
in that region through failure of the Railroad
Commission to afford relief.
The Banner says "The Easterlings, the largest
vegetable growers perhaps in the United States who
operated largely at Martin, very rich section in
TINS county, have pulled up stakes and moved away.
"A large number of growers at Anthony have
restricted their acreage and have been forced
to quit altogether.
"a party of gentlemen from Vncennes, Indiana,
purchased large tract of land Ocala and plant
ed the in vegetables They said that their object
not to get rich quick, but they wanted to do
steady, legitimate business.
"After three years trial they have pulled up
stakes and returned to their Indiana home.
'The gentlemen composing this party said that
the climate of Florida is all right they liked it i'm
mensey; it produces finely and that the soil is all
right; that people here clever and hospitable.
They, in a word, had fault to find with any of the
climatic conditions No fault to find with the soil,
nor with the people.
"Indeed, they found the soil more productive
than they had anticipated. 1t produces abundantly
and they got good prices for their products but they
said that it is matter of mposibility to succeed
in growing vegetables in the interior of Florida and
pay the freight rates assessed against them"
1t recites the troubles of Marion County farmer,
who for twenty years had kept up the struggle
which ended in defeat Excess freight rates put him
out OF business, and asks what does man in such
difficulty "care about the Florida Railway Commits
sion ining railway company fifty an hundred
dollars for not buletining belated traini"
The Live Oak Democrat commenting on the criti
cisms offered by the Banner, remarks that, eve
know little about the efforts of the Florida Commits