The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-06-01
SOME PROSPECTS OF
AN EXTRA SESSION
Jacksonville Needs Legislation to En-
able Her to Put Her Port
In Good Shane.

A dispatch from Pensacola says:
AS result Of Jacksonville's effort
to control docks and terminals along
the waterfront of that city, it seems
very probable that an extra session of
the Florida Legislature will be called
sometime in the near future to con-
slider bill which will make it possible
for Jacksonville to acquire, operate or
lease docks, warehouses and terminals
endorsed by the Jacksonville Board of
Trade.
Speaker T. A. Jennings, of the House
of Representatives, is in receipt of a
letter asking that he sign a letter re-
questing the governor to call the extra
session, which will be paid for by the
Jacksonville Board of Trade provided
1t lasts no longer that three days and
that no other bills are considered. He
assured the Jacksonville delegation,
which is supporting the movement
footed by the Board of Trade, that he
would be willing to serve and that he
would lend his support to the measure.
Speaker Jennings stated that in the
event of a special session of the legis-
lature being called he would take up
the matter of having a like measure
passed which will give Pensacola the
waterfront rights
Although the session might be called
for the purpose of considering the
it is not at all improbable that the
governor will call a longer session to
consider measures of Importance to the
State, among them the revenue bill
which the governor vetoed at the last
session. With Jacksonville charter
amendment, Pensacola charter
amendment and other matters to be
brought up on the recommendation of
the executive, it is probable that the
extra session will extend over a period
of ten days or two weeks.
The municipal docks and terminals
question has been long agitated by
Jacksonville. The chief of the engn-
eering department has put Jackson
vile on notice that no more appropria-
tions will be recommended for that
harbor until she acquires and operates
or leases her own docks, warehouses
and terminals in order that the State
and public at large may participate in
the benefits to be derived from such
appropriations. The Jacksonville
Board of Trade appointed a committee
of able business and professional men
to devise ways and means to secure the
necessary docks and terminals for that
city. The committee has been at work
for nine months and has gathered to-
gether much valuable data on the sub
ject.
One of the first things that they
learned was that the charges made for
loading and discharging of ships and
the warehousing of the freight are a
part of the through rate for transpor-
tation, and if these rates be high, or
! the service poor, the business seeks
other ports; thus the terminal charges
| or service can make ruin a port
| this being the reason for the policy
adopted by the national government in
requiring the port city to control its
own docks and terminals.
; 1t was also discovered that thousands
| of tons of Florida products-such as
naval stores. phosphate. cotton, etc
are moving being hauled through Jack
sonville to another State for export
because Jacksonville has not the term
inals and facilities for handling the
| freight