The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-03-30

Of which stated:
FACTS AND FIGURES
BY THE RAILROADS
Clear and Comprehensive Statements |
Show the Justice of Their Petit
tons for Relief Operations
of the Act
The report gave first the argument |
of L. c. Massey, former attorney for
the railroad commission, who repre- |
scented the board of trade of Orlando, |
and We presume spoke for the peo-
pie, but from the account in the !
no one could tell which |
side he spoke for, or, in fact why he
should have spoken at all.
Then followed reports of the state |
ments of several parties pro and con,
among them Senator Carson, of Os-
ceOla, who represented the views of
the interior merchant and producer. |
In all these, the views of the rail-
road men were set forth clearly and
at length, but those of their oppo-
nents were cut short or slurred so
that the force of their arguments
couldn't be discerned by the reader.
More space was devoted to W. E.
Kay, attorney for the Coast Line.
than any one else. Mr.. Rays report
was so clear and comprehensive that'
he probably wrote it himself, as the
difference in style between it and the
balance of the reports was quite
marked.
Of course, this sort of reporting
does not deceive the shippers of the
state, and only adds to the contempt
and unbelief in which the Times
Union is held in every matter where
the interest of the railroads and the
public come in conflict.
The kissimmee Valley-Gazette,
which like the Star has no railroad
shackles on it, gave fair account,
from which We take the following:
Kissimmee Papers Account
Mr.. Drew of Plant City asked why
railroads charged more to deliver a
carload of sash and doors from Jack
sonville to Plant City than to Tam
pa, and stated that they could be
billed through to Tampa and re-
billed from there back to Plant City
for less freight than direct.
Mr. Menzies replied that the road
could not live on a seaport traffic
rate, but must have an intermediate
rate in order to live. He added that
through cars can be handled for
practically nothing; that it cost 70
per cent. to do the business.
Mr. Carson then asked if on the so
per cent basis does it not stand to
lose II per cent on its Tampa bust
ness?
The answer to this was that these
| through cars of freight are hauled
attached to a train that has to go,
and the cost of the crew, etc, is all
saved, thus placing it at practically
no cost, but when asked by Mr.. Bry-
an if it was not fact that many of
these through trains carried no local
freight but ran through with its
crew, all the argument was spoiled.
In a long drawn out argument be-
| tween Mr.. Drew of Plant City and
the representative of the A. c. l..
and the S. A L. railways it was
shown that cement and plaster We're
| being shipped to Tampa via Plant
! City at $156 per hundred pounds
and at the same time charging Plant
| City S2.16 for the same service. The
same was found to be true in regard
tC windows and doors.
]. VI. Bonds of Plant City asked
about the rate on commercial ferti-
| lizer and asked the question why it
was that Plant City was forced TO
pay on commercial fertilizer shipped
from Jacksonville 1922 per hundred
pounds while Tampa only pays $50
a difference Of siXty-two cents. when
the material that goes into Tampa is
hauled through Plant City?
i After every visitor has been given
opportunity to be heard that so de-
sired. c. 4 Carson. representing the
Kissimmee board Of trade. asked Il
be heard. and in a forceful address
presented the case before the com
; missioners in such a way that i
, could not be misunderstood. *
cited rates on flour fromsJacksonvillt
: TO Tampa at twentr-one cents~pe1
barrel and from Jacksonville 10 IAis
simmee the rate is thirty-fve cents
| He showed that the interstate rat
I was different. that the rate from Gin
: cinnati to Savannah On the lot
: pounds is twenty-threA cents AM
= from Cincinnati TO Atlanta, an inter
sr.,I