The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-03-21
COAST LINE HAS 4 CHAMPION

The st. Petersburg Independent
Teproduces the Stars article headed.
Our People Must Take the Cast
Offs" and makes the following
comment:
The Ocala Star could not be ac-
cused Of railroad control; in fact
Ii might more readily be accused of
going to the other extreme and bait
ing the railroads. The Star has
been hammering away at the A. C..
L. railroad for some time
Competition is what makes good
service. The A. c. L. uses fine cars
where it meets with competition
from other railroads in the effort to
get passenger business, and this is
only natural. 1t is also reasonable
10 suppose that no railroad will run
trains at loss, just to accommodate
citizens of any town, section or state.
The railroads of Florida run faster
trains, better trains and more Of
them during the tourist season be-
cause their business is heavy at
such times and the train service is
needed. One cannot expect the A
C. L. railroad to run fast and fine
passenger train in the summer, when
the traffic is not heavy enough to
pay the wages of the crew.
Batting a railroad is ineffective,
as a rule, and much more could be
accomplished by persuasive and
peaceful methods. The A. c. L. rail-
road is no better and no worse than
other railroads, and it gives to get
something in return, and for no
other reason. The A. c. L. has been
making many improvements in its
service in ST. Petersburg, and still
more improvements will be made
next winter, but most of the people
of St. Petersburg are convinced that
the entrance of the Tampa & Gulf
Coast railroad, with its Seaboard
Air Line connection, has more to do
with the better service than any
thing else
The Independent doesn't exactly
make a noise like a railroad organ,
but it is a fair imitation. 1t should
talk a while into a photograph, and
then listen to it's own voice.
Since the Independent has pub
Hshed the Stars charges against the
Coast Line, we are willing to bet
that most of its readers will say they
are true.
The joke is that the Independent
itself comedies that they are true,
roads Now, then, the Independent
has a mighty smart editorial writer,
but he makes poor showing in de-
Tending a bad cause.
The Star does not bait the rail-
roads It would much rather praise
than criticise them, but it sees no
reason why it should remain quiet
when they impose On the people.
AISO, the oldI DSSo lcdft " AZ
form the Independent that for years
and years, it refrained from criti-
cIsm of the Coast Line, because it
feared that it might do more harm
than good. 1t only spoke when the
Impositions were too fragrant to be
passed in silence by an Independent
paper, and when it had reason to be-
lteve that it would express the feel
Tngs of a great majority Of the peo-
plf
Tho Star has not tried to create
sentiment against the Coast Line. 1t
has only expressed the sentiment the
Coast Line has created for itself.
There is no excuse for the Coast
Line TO run scrapheap engines and
.-Irty cars for local traffic. The
Coast Line trains on this division al
ways do a good local business.
The Star maintains that our own
people give the Coast Line the great
bulk Of its business, and that they
are entitled to good accommoda-
G1oAS. uc OldI 10 SOlIs " set Tic
Independent virtually claiming that
transient visitors are entitled to bet
ter accommodations than our own
people. 1t is about the only Florida
paper we have ever seen express
such sentiments.
A direct combination Of its argu-
msnt is seen here in this city. The
Sea board Air Line runs thru a more
sparsely settled territory than the
Coast Line. Yet the Seaboard gives
znuch the best accommodations. II
Keeps newer and cleaner cars on its
trains, winter and summer.
The Star doesn't wish to be con
Sidered as batting the railroads. The