The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-07-23
a WRONG ACCUSATION

though the distance is very much
greater. The rate is given to Tampa
solely because it is seaport city and
for no other reason. 1t is not given
to Ocala because it has no water com.
petition.
This paper then went on discussing
the folly as it appears to it on the
part of the railroads for discriminat.
ing against interior points, when ii
ought to occur to the average sensi.
bic mind that the fostering of int.
rior cities from a business point of
view would result much more advan.
tageously to the railroads because the
interior is dependent solely on them
for its transportation, and every
pound of freight coming in and going
out must pass through the railroad
hopper, and they have no toll to di-
vide with any water-going craft.
In an argument of this sort there
is no animosity or feeling of I'M
kindness against any neighboring city,
so we are surprised to find the follow
ing criticism of the course of the
Ocala Banner in the editorial col
umns of the Tampa Tribune:
The Ocala Banner refuses to be
comforted. Close on the heels of its
distressing paroxysms incident to the
Sunny Jim" special, it is thrown into
worse fits because the railroads have
given Tampa the Jacksonville rates
on grain. The Banner ought to re-
alize by this time that it doesn't help
Ocala in the least to display i'll tenn
per over the prosperity of other cit
les. Let Ocala go to work and get
these things, as Tampa does, and i'll
will be kept so busy celebrating its
own good fortune that it will have no
time to decry that Of its neighbors."
To show that the Ocala Banner is
not guilty of displaying i'll temper in
the discussion of a purely business
question it reproduces the article en-
tire, which the Tribune criticizes as
ill-tempered and malevolent
Here it is:
Cheap Freight Rates for Tampa
Tampa is just now rejoicing in the
following telegram:
Jacksonville rate on grain and it's
products will be authorized to Tampa,
effective September l."
"The telegram was sent from L. E.
Chaloner, general freight agent, who
is now attending a meeting of the
Southeastern Tariff Association at
Hot Springs, Va, to w. F. Mundee,
freight agent for the Sea-
board Air Line railway.
Speaking of the telegram, the Tam
pa Tribune says:
'The principal significance of the
order is that Tampa is recognized as
a distributing point for south Florida,
and that it will enjoy the same freight
rate on grain and grain products as
Jacksonville. despite the difference in
distance. The argument advanced by
Tampa has always been that Tampa
is entitled to be the distributing point
for that portion of the state to the
south of Ocala, and Jacksonville for
that part of the state north of Ocala,
but the railroads were not able to
see it that way" when the PROPOSE {
ton was first made" II
~Ocala, though recognized as Gen.
trally located. gets it where the chick
en- got the axe-in the neck. ID
Grain shipped to Jacksonville by I
rail can be reshipped from that point
by boat to all points on the ocean or
on the st. Johns river and its tribu-
taries. Shipped to Tampa by rail, it
can be reshipped from there by boat
to all points on the gulf and the navi- :
gable rivers which empty into it.
But grain and other articles ship :
ped to -0cala, when reshipped from ,
here must be reshipped by rail. !
going north, south east or :
west, it will go by rail. Every pound :
Of it will be grist for the railroad hop ,
per.
ut does seem that it would occur to I,
those who have control of these great !
of commerce that it would !,
be to the advantage of the roads to :
build up great cities in the interior,
but instead of which they foster and
pamper the seaport cities, and do all /,
in their power to prevent the build :
ing UP of cities in the interior by plac- /.
ing them under the ban of discriminate ,
ing freight rates.
Some of these days some man of
some sense and foresight is going to ;
get in control of the trafice depart :
ment of these roads and make his
tory tell different story.
big cities in the interior would be
the making of the railroads, and some
time some fellow is going to have
sense enough to see it."
n is not reasonable to suppose that :,
the railroads will forever stand in =
their own light and some day a rail-
road Napoleon will appear that will
'evolutionize freight rates and the in
.erior cities will coma into +bo - |