The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-11-17
AN APPARENT INDIFFERENCE
TO THE PUBLIC WELFARE

This paper dislikes to appear in the
role of a public scold. but it seems
to it that the great fault of the peo
pie of Ocala is an almost total indif
ference TO the public welfare.
No question that relates to the pub
lie seems to excite any attention
whatsoever, and the average citizen,
though perhaps a heavy tax payer,
seems willing to let events shape
themselves in any old way. providing
that it will not give him, individually,
the least bother.
We have in the recent past organ
lied several boards of trade, each one
promising to take on new life, but aft
er their organization it seems almost
impossible to drum up the second or
third meeting.
The writer of this spiel has mes
time and time again alone with the
late c. L. Bittinger, secretary of the
organization, after a much advertised
meeting of supposedly grave impor.
lance to the city.
1t seemed then, as it does now, i'm
possible to arouse any interest in pub
lie affairs of even grave concern.
For number of years the G. and
G., now the T. and P. railroad, mas
had its southern terminal at Fair
field, only twelve miles from Ocala
1t has carried to Gainesville large
part of the trade and traffic that
properly belongs to Ocala. For some
time past the officers of this company
have offered to extend the road to this
city if it could secure certain termi-
nal facilities. They were willing to
pay for these privileges in the stock
of the company, so as to make the
business men of the city interested
in the welfare and success of the en-
terprise. In reality the cost is a mere
bagatelle, but the proposition hangs
fire and nothing has been done.
Some months ago we seemed to
have determined on an union station.
Committees were appointed, and we
were going to have the station, or
know the reason why. Even the la
mans Club aided the board of trade
in securing petitions praying the rail-
way commission to grant the same to
the city. But, like the children's
swing. the cat has been permitted to
die a slow but lingering death.
Some of our prominent merchants
and builders of the city have been ar
rested and dragged before the mayor
and fined for occupying about two
feet of the pavement for the display
of their merchandise; yet all he
while the Atlantic Coast Line railway
has been permitted to have it's freight
depot in the center of one of the prin-
cipal thoroughfares of the city, block
ing it up completely for twenty years
or more, without a word of comment
or protest.
Equity and justice compel us to say
that this blockading of one of the
principal streets of the city has not
been entirely the fault of the railway
company.
1t has gone ahead in good faith and
bought up considerable property at
advanced valuations, and has pledged
itself to build a brick depot in keep
ing with the growth of the city, am
ply large to accommodate it's increas-
ing trade, but to do which it is com
PEELED to close up for distance of
one block certain streets now but lit
tie used, otherwise the building of
such depot with it's track facilities
is matter of impossibility.
This privilege was granted this rail
road in Jacksonville, on Bay street,
the principal business street of the
city 1t was granted the Pennsylva-
MIA Central in New York City, where
it has recently erected the largest de-
pot building in the world.
The consumers Of electricity in
Ocala are paying, and have been pay
ing, 10 cents per K. W., for the cleo
trio current since the Inauguration of
the system. now twenty-five or more
years ago.
Some seven months ago the Florida
Power Company, owned by the Camps
of this city, offered to supply electric
current for the sum of cents per K.
w.
The city could surely distribute
this current to its consumers for 2
cents per X. W., thus effecting saw
ing of one-half the price they have
been paying for the past quarter of a
century, but nothing was done with
the proposition, so it has been with
drawn
Apparently not a single consumer
took any interest in the matter. No