Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1909-07-16
EAST COAST RAILWAY
ASKS FOR INJUNCTION
AGAINST FLORIDA RAILROAD
COMMISSIONERS.
Claims the Commission Seeks 90 Force
the Company 20 % Things
which Are Unreasonable.

Not very long ago the State Rail
road Commission issued certain or
ders to the officials OF the Florida
East Coast railway compelling that
road TO do certain things which the
railroad considers unjust and I'M
reasonable. In order to get AZ the
matter legally the railroad has fled
o bin at Miami asking for an in
junction and relief and TO declare I'M
tust and unreasonable these orders
OF the commission. Major Alex st.
Ciair-Abrams acting for the corpora
ton. According 20 The Miami Me
tropolis the bill Is signed by. J. p.
Beckwith, vice-president OF the rail-
road company. and is directed TO X.
Hudson X. Burr. Royal C. Dunn and
Newton A. Bitch. members OF the
Florida Railroad Commission. Au.
gustus @. Hartridge. J. NJ. Rivers,
and John c. Jones. States attorneys
for the Fourth, Eighth and Seventh
judicial circuits OF Florida.
The instrument seeks 90 restrain
the defendants from enforcing their
various recent orders, relative 70 the
placing OF a permanent agent Of the
company at White City. the building
OF combination stations for freight
and passengers az Naranja and VIZ
ing, and building additional side
tracks and imposing certain fines.
At the outset. the bill declares that
the members OF the commission have
had no practical experience or knOwl-
edge Of the construction, operation or
management OF railroads. placing a
foundation for the complaints follow.
ing I'm the bill.
A rehearsal is made Of the indebt-
edness of the Florida East Coast Rail.
way Company. citing the $4,000. 900
Of bonds bearing az per cent inter-
est, secured by the FIRST mortgage on
the road from Jacksonville To Key
West, and its branches. and the
e25, 100000 second mortgage to Sc
cure payment Of the income bonds In
n like sum.
Il IN averred In the bill that II
would cost $4,000. 900 to rebuild the
road. II gives the fixed charges OF
the road, annually, as follows: $40,
900 on account Of the first mortgage
bonds. sl35.OO0 taxes. and $4,000
for Insurance. additional betterments
unforeseen and extraordinary expenses
Five per cent per annum Is paid foI
money advanced for the construction
OF the Key West extension.
II IL claimed in the bill that th'
officials Of the company are not paiC
larger salaries than their positions
command. and that the road Is opeT
ated and maintained In an economical
manner. The petitioner goes on q
say that the road has 5Sl.7 miles q
roadway at present. and will hav
e26.7 miles when the extension Z
Key West IL completed. and that Their
is an average OF but fifty person
90 the mile along the entire roadway
The declaration is made that at IN
present rate for charges on freigh
and passenger transportation, th
road does not and will not earn 70
years. It's fixed charges and a reason
able interest on the income bonds
The business of the road increase
slowly. the bill recites. and the pei
sIstent cutting down OF rates ordere
by the railroad commission aud IN
increased expenses imposed by tn
commission has compelled the con
pany TO borrow money TO meet IN
fxed charges.
The petition for relief further cha