The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-03-07
Disinterested Commissioner
Are Preferred.

Are Preferred.
The Fernandina Record some weeks
ago argued in favor of having a rail-
road man on the railroad commission,
and said that If one OF the commits
sioners understood the railroad bush
ness thoroughly. there would not be 50
much trouble now. The Journal re-
piled to the paragraph and suggested
that il was not so much the services
Iof railroad expert on the commission
that was needed, as it was the power
that should be vested in the commits
sion to carry its rulings into effect
when made.
| The Record replies to the paragraph
as follows:
/ The Record regrets that to-day the
railroad commission has not member OF
the experience and knowledge of railroad
rates, railroad service and railroad equip
nent such as that which Mr.. H. E Day
possessed and which proved of great ser
vice to Florida.
/ In its reference 60 the question The
Pensacola Journal fails to take into ac-
count the present distressing condition OF
affairs. 1t says that when Mr. Day was
chairman of that board the people did not
get the relief asked for If our memory.
backed by the reports Of the railroad
commission for the time that Mr.. Day
served, and our observations of the pres
ent conditions and the accomplishments
of the board for the past three years
serves us correctly the commission came
just as near giving the people what they
asked for at that time as it is doing now
At the time to which The Journal refers,
the people were not confronted with. the
serious problem of lack of transporta-
ton facilities which is to-day closing the
saw mills and stagnating other lines of
business an all parts of the state. At that
Il time the Atlantic Coast Line was running
freieSt trains every now and then" at
least. and supplying cars with more regu-
larity than il is now doing. When Mr..
Day was a member of the commission
freight could be moved from Dunnellon
to Fernandina in a few days; now it re-
! aufres weeks. The people in the time
of Mr. Days connection with the board
secured all the relief that they asked for
within reason when 1t was in the power
OF the board to grant it. In doing so the
. board had the advantage of the knowl-
; edge of railroad matters which. Mr.. Day,
with his many years of experience, was
Il able to give. To-day the situation is de-
cfdedly worse than ii was in the time of
! Mr.. Day. Are the people asking for
, relief? They may not be doing so in The
| Journals territory but they are bowling
for it here and at Jacksonville Are the
people getting what they ask for now?
We know that conditions are worse
4 fT<.r, %hnx- ~ -.
Mr. Day was chairman of the board, and
we do not charge the present board with
. 1t. But we do contend that just at this
time the services of an expert railroad
man to deal with the problems would be
, of great value. 1t stands TO reason tina,
he could more intelligently act than tho
! three novices in railroad matters who are
at present members of the board, no mat
ter how conscientious and faithful they
are in the discharge of their duties
( Would The Journal employ turpentin,
clipper to take charge gifts linotype ma.
: chinese Reasoning along the same lin,
e should not the state have ole competen
railroad man employed on a commission
Y which deals only with railroad matters?
e The Journal did not intend by tn,
/ paragraph mentioned 20 reflect npoI
Hon. Henry E. Day, who was the rail
road expert referred to, but it dee
J contend that when Mr.. Day was /:
lmember of the commission, and at IN,
!, thine it was generally said that thu
3 railroads controlled a majority of tn.
commissioners, the people were ciaIa
e oring for a cheaper passenger rate OIL
1.-THE railroads without avail The com
mission said it was impossible I,
make the railroads lower their rate
: The matter was litigated, and finall,
r the railroads compromised on tn,
ithree-eent-round.trip rate, and this wa
all that railroad commission could d,
( in the matter Of cheaper passenge
q rates.
In the summer of 1902 two commits
: sioners retired from the railroad com
!. mission, and two new members wer,
elected, both commonly known AM
d spoken of as "anti-corporation" men il
!, politics. Immediately the railroads an
, nounced that they would put the three
q cent-straight-fare rates IN operation
= Now the election of these two mel
s may not have had anything to do witt
e the railroads adopting this new sched
, ule for passenger rates, and then again
y it may have.
n The Record refers to the time tia
J. Mr.. Day was on the commission ant
t says that the state was not eonfronte,
n 1T that time with the condition of al
u fairs along this line thar it is to-day
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