The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-04-17
EDITORS AND RAILWAY ADS

We agree with our contemporaries
that the railroads should be made TO
publish their tables. and this would be
a good time for the Florida solons to
make this a law.-BrooksvIlIe Argus.
wou1dnt is be just as fair to compel
the newspapers to publish the sehed-
ules? The railroads would gladly fur
nish the copy no doubt and pay the
postage But when legislators dds
pleased because they couldn't collect
mileage and ride on passes at the same
tfme), have decreed that the roads
could not pay for advertisements with
the transportation, which they have to
sell, would 1t be fair or right or just
to force them to pay out thousands of
dollars every year for the information
of newspape subscribers. The law
that directly forbade the exchange of
transportation for advertising not only
deprives the newspaper readers OF
something that the editor would be
glad to give them. If he could afford it,
but also prevents the editor from in
duIgfng in an occasional little trip
editors don't get away from their
desks very often-and Is a reflection
upon the integrity OF the profession
Times-Unien.
The Star doesn't think the railroads
should be compelled TO advertise the r
time tables unless they see Mt The
public has just as much right to expect
a newspaper to print schedule for
nothing as it has to expect railroad
to publish it and pay for it unless it
wants to. 4 railroad has right to
the same privilege that an individual
has in regard to its advertising. But
the Times-Union misrepresents the
legislators who enacted the anti-pass
law It is an obvious untruth TO say
that they were displeased because they
couldn't collect mileage and ride on
passes at the same time. The fact of
1t is that that was the very thing they
could have done, and they were both
wise and patriotic when they put a
stop to it. The Star hopes that the
pass system, so far from being restor-
ed to it's old-time proportions, viii be
still further reduced. Twenty years
ago. nearly every newspaper man in
Florida was riding on pass, and 1t
was almost impossible to have word
printed in behalf of the people and
against the railroads. The pass sys-
tenn was abused on both sides. The
railroads virtually owned the papers.
and not only editors but al their rela-
tions and friends were riding free.
Also. legislators. lawyers and every-
body else who had a pull, untih at
least a third of the population was
pushing passes at the conductors. It's
a good thing all around that 1T has
been restricted as far it has, and it
should be restricted still more 1t is
yet in practice more than the public
knows The law is evaded, and not a
few newspaper men and others ride
practically free. If a railroad wants
to keep newspaper quiet, its easy to
give it a mileage book, and nobody
outside of headquarters can prove that
said book isn't paid for in cash. But
you won't notice that newspaper say
ing anything against that railroad. Let
the legislature keep the screws on the
pass system and give them few more
turns If possible.
So far as the Star can see editors
get away from their desks" about as
often as they ever did, and some OF
them are better off because they don't
have to accept pay for advertising
space in. passes that they don't really
need.