The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-04-18

to issue subpoenas for any witnesses
that he desired to prove his case with.
and 1t is not a question Of the Attor-
ney. General having an appropriation
himself, because the Court has the
right TO have its orders carried out.
1t must be apparent that he has tn
prove his case. by witnesses who can
testify to the condition that prevailed
at the time he filed his petition AMI
dates prior thereto and not by an in
spection made twelve to fifteen
months afterwards by some one else
who knew nothing Of the conditions
prevailing at the time the allegations
were made.-therefore the Attorney
General having failed TO do his plain
duty is seeking now TO exonerate him
self by placing the blame on another
Department Of the State Government
and az has already been done in the
case OF the Attorney General, this
Board hereby declines to comply with
the request of the Ocala Board of
Trade in supplying the Attorney Cen
eral with the service of the Inspecting
Engineer
This Committee had no authority
over the physical property Of railroads
in this State prior to the Act of the
Legislature approved May 9th. 1907,
and yet for more than year prior to
the filing of the Attorney Generals
petition in the Supfeme Court of
Florida, the Commission was after the
Coast Line officials from the local
superintendent to the President of
the line, urging that they should make
improvements in their Florida prop
erty. and this office is i'm possession
Of files on this subject that would
make pamphlet OF 100 to 125 pages
on that subject which shows that the
Commission vas alert in this direc-
ton even AZ II time when they had
no authority under the law to do one
thing. They carried these matters
over the heads Of Florida officials re-
peatedly to the President of the sys-
tenn and have letters from him giving
Us information as to what endeavOrs
they We're making to better the condi-
lions. These files are open to the in =
spection Of any who desire this
knowledge. and we regret very much
that they are too VOluminous to be
copied and sent to you, but even if
this were done there is so much of It
that those Of you who feel that you
are Interested would not. in all prob
ability, with to take the time neces-
sary to the reading OF same.
As a sample. we wish to call your
attention to the enclosed letter from
Mr.. T. NJ. Emmerson, President of the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Com
pany, under date Of November Goth,
1906, also a copy of a statement rem
dered by him to this Commission OF
equipment received during the year
ending June Goth. 1905. during the
year ending June Goth, 1906, and or
ders for equipment placed by the same
company for other deliveries showing
date they were due. date they we're
promised and when they were being
received. You will remember that q
great many deliveries were made dur
ing the month of January, 1907, about
the time the Attorney General filed
his petition to the supreme court and
shortly thereafter. 1t must be appar-
ent to your Board that the orders for
this equipment delive' ed at that time
must have been made six to eighteen
months prior thereto and could not
have been as d result of the Attorney
Generals suit.
The Railroad Commissioners are ia
miliar with the railroad conditions in
this State. prol ably more SO than any
other persons. and they are charged
under the law giving them jurisdic-
ton of the physical property of rail-
ways with the authority to employ an
inspector 10 make inspections and es-
Inmates under their direction and in
such manner as they may direct, ana
being charged with this duty they in
tend to be the judges of when, where
and how this work shall be done, and
ito not intend to be dictated to in the
PREMISES by the Attorney General, and
therefore, as stated above We respect
fully define your request for the loan
of this Inspector to the Attorney Cen
eral
We are also sending you a CODY Of
letter addressed to Governor Broward
February 14th, 1908. on this subject.
This letter was written to Governor
hi'N Oh VI uSCdISc lllS DOdGu DdQ IN
formation that the Attorney General
had been taking his troubles to tn-
Governor and Cabinet and had said
to the Governor that he should make
the demand upon the Railroad Com
miSSiOnerS To furnish him with hi :
engineer and in the event that they
refused the request, to remove IN
commissioners from office. Therefore.
instead of replying to the last letter
Of the Attorney General. which he
gave you for publication when IN
Ocala last, the matter was taken up
direct with the Governor who has not
made us reply and which is taken
by this Commission to mean that he
regards the position taken by the
commissioners as correct one.
In addition to the above, we wish to
state that we are reliably informed
that the superintendent of the Allan
tic Coast Line Railroad Company
made proposition to the ATTORNEY
General that they agree upon SOma
competent person to go over their
lines. making a thorough inspection
of same, such person to be used as a