The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-05-05
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR is DUE

! we WOulu not uetracL from the
/ faithful services rendered by the rail-
road commission in the long passenger
rate litigati N with the L. e. n. R. R.,
which ives terminated the gath inst,
! by an agreement or the part of the
company thai it would install three
cent passenger rate on May Sth; how
ever, as we review the entire situa-
| ton and circumstances surrounding
the litigation in connection with the
idea advanced by Hon. Park Than
nell, attorney general, that the pass
age of the lew fixine the "a tie at three
cents would Jring about results we are
! impressed that Mr.. TrammeI's recon-
mendation on April 4th to the legisla-
ture, suggesting that law be pass
od fixing the rate ard the Introducing
Of the bill ~ Senator Stokes in ac-
coraance with the attorney generals
suggestion, which will doubtless be-
come a law, influe,ced and brought
the L. G. \ + R. Il tn compromise
and settlement of ti.4 rate litigation at
this time
This bill. which rndour:rdly would
have been mode law by ne legisla-
ture, would have lvquireu a three
cent rate o. June /. 1911. The only
way the railroad could have prevented
its enforcement would hive been BY
injunction. and in view Of the decis-
ion Of the court in The Alabama case,
in which the court held that q statu-
ta~y passenger rate should not be en-
Joined until there he'd been a fair and
reasonable tial OF the rctC by the
railroad company, tie L. & y. had
practically no avenue through which
. avoid putting into effect on June
'1st the three cent rate as required by
the bill before the legislature. This
condition confronting the l. & N. It
was but natural for the II engagement
to take up through its attorney, Hon.
w. A. Blount. the matter of getting
the best settlemen possible of the lit
igation pending between il and the
railroad commission prior to the time
the road would doubtless be forced,
under the statute. t. th~ee-ce pas
senger rate.
Following Mr.. TrammeIS sugges-
ton on April 4th to the legislature,
recommending a psssengei rate law,
and the Indication &C tn passage of
the bill by Senator Stokes. Mr.. Blount,
representing the G. mpary, on April
18th, goes - Tallahassee and advises
the governor, the attorney and the
railroad commission that thc company
is ready to put on the three-cent rate
upon the condition that IT,; injunction
pending in the litigation between it
and the railroad commission be made
permanent. On Apr;' Gath the railroad
commission agrees - the terms of set
Element.
AS the L. G n could have. in the
res GOQLSS VI ItCCGuOIS,
ed the fight with TIE railrc al commits
sion for at least year or two longer,
even though it might have in the end
lost, it seems but reasonable to us
that if anything fol ced tho settlement
at this particular time. il must have
been the bill undo: whi9Ei the COM
pany would have been required within
five or six weeks to put on the three
cent passenger rate.
We think the railroad commission
has been faithful AMI earnest in its eff
fort t. get the thre cent rat on this
road. but upon thu Other hand we
think it was Attorney General Tram
NELL and Senator Stokes who fortu-
rately inaugurated the plan and move
ment which yielded quick results, that
may have long beer, delayed had it not
been for Their efforts IT = poland NaU-S