The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-03-20

duced a BILL 10 "equallze trelgnt rates
over transportation lines engaged in
interstate commerce"
In - bill like this there is no play
10 the galleries. II has a meaning to-
Il. II is fraught with good. II has
right and justice behind it. II enacted
into law II will correct a fragrant
wrong. We cannot commend in too
high terms Claude L'Engle. its author.
We are glad to tip our hat in saluta-
ton to him. II always pains US to say
anything other than good of our public
servants and whenever they do that
which must be productive Of good to
the whole commonwealth none more
than ourselves will more gladly load
them down with decorations and com
mendatlons.
Claude L'Engle has hit the bulls
eye" The idea OF those in authority
permitting our transportation compa-
MES 10 make flesh OF one section and
fowl OF another is stupendously
wrong.
The idea Of transportation COM
pany sending a carload Of stun from
Chicago 20 Jacksonville for fifty dol
lars and charging more than two hun
dred dollars for its return. loaded
with the same character OF stuff and
going over the same route. Is out of
all reason and should be corrected.
We hope that Congressman L'Engle
VIII push his bill to a successful is
sue. II there Is any likelihood Of his
doing Il he should be returned to con-
gress hands down.
The wires tell US that no man in
public life watches with keener in
terest every possibility for develop
Ing additional facilities for transporta-
ton than Senator Duncan U. Fletcher.
Of Florida. For FIVE years Senator
Fletcher has been president OF the
Mississipp'-to-Atlantic Inland Water
ways Association and a director of
the National Rivers and Harbors
Congress. During that time he has
been an enthusiastic advocate of
waterway improvements, his pleasing
personality and his intelligent appre-
citation of the needs OF commerce for
added means o. transportation being
largely instrumental in bringing
about waterway improvements bene-
fetal to the whole country.
sour people are greatly interested"
said the Senator. I'm the plan for an
inside waterway from Cape Cod to the
Rio Grande and will do everything
possible 70 make this dream q reality;
but. while vitality interested In the
whole scheme Of an intra-costal wat
erway we are especially enthusiastic
over the connecting up OF certain
links extending from New Orleans, on
the Mississippi river. along the Gulf
OF Mexico TO the west coast OF Florida.
thence across my own fair state to
the Atlantic Ocean. connectig on the
inland waterway from Key West to
Boston.
"A favorable report has been made
BY the army engineers on the entire
inland waterway form 81. Georges
Sound. on the west coast OF the PENN
sula Of Florida. 10 the Rio Grande.
The portion frvm Galveston to Cor.
pus Christi. In Texas. Is already in
operation and the pending river and
harbor bill makes provision for the
sections from Corpus Christi to the
Rio Grande and from Galveston to the
Louisiana line.
"In Louisiana a chain Of waterways
Is already open from the Mississippi
TO the Mermentau River and work Is
in progress westward from the Mer
mentau TO the Sabine River. which
makes the boundry between Texas
and Louisiana.
The sections form st. Georges
Sound TO ST. Andrews Bay and from
ChOctawhathee Bay TO Pensacola Bay
are practically completed and the
present river and harbor bill pro
vides for the section from Mobile Bay
20 ChOctawathee Bay. which is tC
cost $4,000, 900. and that from Pensa
cola Bay to Mobile Bay, which is tC
cost s330.33S for the future. The depth
Of the channel has been fixed at five
feet except between st. Andrews and
/ Choctawatchee Bays, where 1t will be
six feet.
Five routes have been surveyed
across Florida and the one most ia
yored by the engineers leads up the
81. Johns River to the Oklawahs
~.