The Ocala evening star., 1911-03-10
GALL FOR sPARKMAN"

that person may be- In the hrst place |
Ii Is not stra, ge that the Tampa board |
of trade should be for Mr.. Sparkman, |
for he has secured for that city gov |
ernment appropriations to deepen its |
river, the Hillsboro, that were ample /
to open ii to the commerce OF the |
world. When any candid and fair |
minded man will review the Port
Tampa situation, he will see that Mr. |
Sparkman did no more than any other
congressman would do and has done
thousand times for his constituents.
Will the knowing More Water
ways" writer tell us the true condition
OF affairs down that way 20 years ago?
Tampa was only a small town and it's
water commerce was nil, until Mr..
Plant built his railroad into that city
and established his steamship line TO
Havana and Key West. What did Mr.
Plant have to do to make the vessels
serviceable? Why, have small boats
and lighters go down the Hillsboro
river, for half dozen miles or more
with passengers and freight and trans
fer the outgoing and incoming busi-
ness. That was a great help to Fam
pa, but the process was too tedious
and costly, so Mr.. Plant at his own
expense created a harbor and docks
and extended his railroad TO Port
Tampa, at a cost of, it is said, five
millions of dollars. That magnificent
commercial venture was the beginning
of Tampa's prosperity and growth
The old F. G. & p. Railroad entered
Tampa, but could not do any water
business because the water was too
shallow In fact, there was not enuf
of that business to Justify commercial
competition. But phosphates were dis
covered 1t was commodity that
largely went abroad Mr.. Plant want
ed more business for the road and he
created a phosphate elevator al Port
Tampa 1t was the trick and drew
an immense tonnage of phosphate to
that port. 1t all helped Tampa and
as the business grew, no one blamed
Mr. Plant for asking Congressman n
Sparkman to secure appropriations to
increase his harbor facilities, and at
the same time bettered conditions in
the city of Tampa, where Mr. Plant
spent millions for it's betterment.
The natural result of all this was
that business grew to the extent that
Tampa became ambitious to have q
port of it's own and asked Mr.. Spark
man to work for the city and not alone
for Mr.. Plant. He did so-the resul
need not be stated. except that deeper
water was secured through large ap
propriations and new steamship line
came to Tampa for business. ThOs
lines reduced freight rates and Great
ed wholesale distributing houses tha
made Tampa grow and benefited all o
South Florida This development
came in a natural course; the better
ment of facilities came with it.
would have come had there never bee,
Congressman Sparkman. but MI
Sparkman, a servant of the people
met all the requirements and demand
Of the people and the growing com
mercial situation. cause must exis
ere advocates arise to create remedy
River towns and seaports only com
as commercial necessities arise. Th
commerce to the other navigab1
streams on the west coast in
significant that soon as railroad
were extended into that section,
paid no longer to run the boats.
Now to the Crystal River propos
tion. We know something of this cas-
from personal knowledge. Congress
man Sparkman simply said he woul
do all he could for those people. H
did. He got a good sized appropriate
and it was expended. 1t enabled tt
big sawmll at that place to send i
output down Crystal River to the ri1
other ports and countries, notab
Cuba The mill burned and that ira
nc was suspended. The people
Crystal River still demanded deep
water Congressman Sparkman b
fore he could do anything had to e
a report from Captain Spaulding,
s. engineer Mr.. Sparkman secure
his presence, a trip was made dow
the river. The captain asked all ma
ner OF questions of the Crystal Riv
citizens committee. The captain fai
ed to see the Importance of the cor
mercial situation as the people did al
did not see that he could honestly
port the present necessity for the e
penditure of a large sum of money f
the purposes asked and hence Co
gresham Sparkman without CAPITA
Spaulding's recommendation could
nothing.
The facts about the obstruction
the Alafia river by filing it's bed wi
phosphate washings has been dete
mined by the courts and if We remel
ber correctly, the real truth of I
matter is If that river were navigal
today there would not be enough co
merce to justify a steamer to asce
that stream. Same on the WithlacC
chez To make it navigable for
shipment of phosphates. and that is
the commerce ii would have, wol
cost hundreds of thousands of doll;
and the commercial necessity has
ready been met by the Dunnel1
Phosphate Company in building a ra
road to Port Tnglis.
The truth of the whole matter is
many sections of our common count
the people on every mud hole in
country and every creek want big q
eminent appropriations to create
seaport out of a quagmire and ev'
congressman is expected to get
early and stay up late, and tear
shirt to ribbons for an absurd and
profitable proposition. We believe
progress, we believe in appropriate
and the flag, but of the same Xxi
This is not written to defend c.
gresham Sparkman against the
tachs of More Waterways" for
faithful services in Congress for
teen years is self-eXplanatory and
popularity so great that no man in
district dared make the race agai
him last election. If Congressn
Sparkmann was the tool of Tampa,
the writer in the Banner would mi
il appear, he could not hold his sea
day after his present term expires
More Waterways" could draw
truthful presentment As it is M
Waterways" is simply an aque'
ha