The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-03-27


they had arranged to hold meetings
at Kissimmee and at two other places
on the east coast and that it would
be necessary to hold meetings at two
places, to be designated later, be-
tween Jacksonville and Pensacola;
and that after that they would be
forced to review all of the tariffs and
give the whole matter thorough
study, and at the conclusion of their
study and investigation all interest
ed parties would be allowed to file
briefs and make oral arguments be-
fore the commission. He said that the
commission would, however, hear at
this time any argument or statement
of the law of the question or of the
facts that had been presented.
Mr.. Spencer then stated that he
had prepared an extended brief upon
the question that he would file at the
proper time before the commission,
and that he hoped to be able to make
oral argument before the commission
on the proposition at the conclusion
of all the testimony. He stated that
at this time, however, he would call
the attention of the commission to-
what he considered the law on the
question. He stated that under the
law it was necessary for the carriers
to prove two things: First, that
where a low scale of rates was main
tanned to any point that the condi-
tions at that point either of actual
ranted that scale of rates. Second,
that they must show that the rates
to the interior points along the same
line that were higher were not un-
reasonable or unjustly discriminatory
against the interior points. He stated,
further, that the law was passed to
prevent determinations and prevent
one community from being arrayed
against another; that the purpose of
the law was to bring about unity and
peace among communities and pre-
vent the railroads from building up
one city at the expense of another.
He said that the feeling in the inte-
rior portion of the state, as manifest
ed at this hearing, showed that the
people of the interior felt that they
were being Disseminated against by
the railroads and that they were be-
ing unjustly and unfairly treated in
favor of the seaport cities of the
state, and that when all of the people
of so large section as the interior
thing must be wrong. He stated that
for years Ocala had. tried to enlarge
its. business, to establish manufacto-
ries and wholesale houses, but that
under the present rates it was impos-
sible, and that if the railroad commits
sion found it impossible to carry out
the letter of the long and short haul
law they could at least carry out the
spirit of the law and make such cor
rections as would tend to aid business
of the interior rather than to destroy
it.
Mr. Burr then stated that any per-
son desiring copies of the testimony
could make arrangement with the
stenographer for the same.
The meeting then adjourned to
meet Wednesday in Kissimmee for
continuation of the hearing.
The commissioners, together with
counsel, stenographer and rate expert,
and all of the gentlemen representing
the carriers, left last night for that
point.
Whatever may be the result of the
meetings held in Ocala, much good
must of necessity come out of these
hearings. d
Many inequalities have been shown,
many unjust determinations have
been brought out.
In the opinion of the writer the
railroads have not justified their po-
sition, nor have they shown that the
rates to the interior cities of the state
were not unreasonable. In fact, in
many instances they have admitted |
without justification.
In the face of the testimony and the
admissions of the carriers, it seems
that some good will not re-
suit to Ocala and the interior because
of these hearings, even if the railroad
commission should decide that it is |
impractical to enforce the letter of
the act. Certainly in the face of the
testimony introduced at the hearing
many reductions will be made to in
terror points, and many discrimina-
tons will be eliminated.