The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-11-12
SOME THING MORE
FREIGHT RATES
ABOUT
To the Editor Ocala Banner:

In your issue of November 5th an
item appears under the above caption
wherein it is stated that some Of the
state papers. notably the Tampa TriJ
une. are giving some attention to the
inequalities in freight rates. we
lpause for answer"
Now, to begin with. I wish first To
state that it is impossible to please
| everybody, therefore, under any co1di
tons. somebody viii be dissatisfied
For argument, 1 admit the figures on
canned goods from Baltimore 10 Ocala
is, by steamer TO Jacksonville. twenty
cents. and Jacksonville to OCala for
ty-one cents per hundred pounds. Il
the figures were reversed the fellow
at the other end would kick. so YOU
see how it goes.
Now. the writer Of the item referr-
ed TO says the above quoted figures
are not facts; that the movement
from Baltimore TO Ocala is an inter
state movement, and the consignee
has to pay ninety-four cents per hun
! dTed pounds. while the Jacksonville
! jObber gets the shipment from BalJi-
more 10 Jacksonville for twenty cents
per hundred pounds, and re-shipped to
Ccala for fOrry-one cents per hundred
pounds-totaI siXty-one cents. as
against ninety-four cents on the
through movement, Baltimore TO
Ocala.
Now I want to say that the party
naming these figures is misinformed,
else the party naming the rate to him
is not onto his job" The facts in
the case are as to the commodity nam
cleaned goods, such as condensed
milk, canned fish, fruits and vegeta-
bles-has a special commodity rate,
as published in the rate book, The
Best Way 10 Ship" and is open to in
spectiOn by the public at all freight
Offices. and states in plain figures and
in plain English. naming the cOmmod- |
Iues as QUoJeG ABOVE. in lots of TWEEN |
ty-tiye cases or more. from Boston.
New York. Philadelphia and Bald- |
more. by any steamer to Jacksonville, !
twenty cents per hundred pounds. |
Jacksonville being the basing point |
for all points in Florida-then the |
Florida state commission, or the ar
bitrary rate, if you please, as to mile |
cage to all points in Florida, which is /
to Ocala. on this commodity. fOrty-one |
cents per hundred pounds. SO you see
the OCala jobber can put these goods
in Ocala just as cheap as the Jackson
the figures | named are taken from
the published tariffs and mt hearsay,
and any citizen has the right to go
in any railroad freight Office and eX-
anime the rates. Now, the question
naturally arises why should the rail
roads get twice as much on this move
ment from Jacksonville to Ocala as
the steamers do from points named to
Jacksonville?
Why. to any fair-minded person the
reason is obvious. and as plain as
Dicks hat-band."
In the first place, our national gov
eminent opens the right of way for
the steamers through natural channels
to ports in the different states, rot
one penny expended for right OF way,
road bed, crossties OF eighty-D Uni
steel rails upon which to get to Jack
sonville-SUNPLY FLOATS ON A
RIGHT OF WAY. PREPARED. BY
THE ALMIGHTY HAND-with no
cost TO the steamers to keep in repair,
while the railroads are taxed from the
beginning. First. the right of way has
to be obtained, by purchase or other
wise-mostly by purchase-and at
fabulous prices, then opened and grad
ed. in many cases at immense outlay,
bridges and trestles TO be built, some !
long and costly. then tied" and nail
ed. then equipped with locomotives
and other rolling stock at enormous
expense. which never stops. but must
be daily be maintained and kept in re-
pair, as well as an army of men in
daily service to maintain and keep up
the roadbed. tracks. etc. Ties aud
steel rails, being comparatively short
lived. have to be renewed lOcOmO-
tives and rolling stock, also short
lived. have to be kept in good repair. /
and renewed every few years. So Won
see, it's plain to an ordinary. every
day American citizen. whose eyes are
open to see the other fellow. that the
railroads have quite as large a soul as
the steamers. 1t costs the railroads Il
whole lot more TO keep the rails IN
der the wheels or the wheels on the
rails. with motive power TO keep them