The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-03-27
MEETING Of RAILROAD COM
M|SS|ONERS IN THIS CITY
To Consider Petitions By Railroads For
Relief From Provisions Of Long
And Short Haul Bill Passed By
The Last Legislature
CHAIRMAN BURR PREsIOES At THE MEETING
Common Carriers Are Ably Represented BY Counsel And
Officials, And Mr. Edwin Spencer, Jr, Author Of The
Long And Short Haul Bill, Splendidly
Represents Provisions Of Measure

the question of grain, and under cross
examination Mr.. Caps testified that
a great deal of the grain into Tampa
came by boat from Philadelphia, and
that rate of IL cents per hundred
pounds was made by the boat line, and
that the Seaboard was forced to make
the same rate from Philadelphia into
Tampa in order to compete. 1t was
brought out here that the rate on
grain from Jacksonville to Ocala was
fifteen cents per hundred pounds, and
from Philadelphia to Tampa it was
twelve cents per hundred pounds.
At this point Mr.. B. A. Weathers
asked Mr. Capps if the Seaboard made
a profit by hauling grain from Phila-
I-delphia to Tampa for twelve cents, to
(which question Mr.. Caps answered
yes Mr. Weathers then made a tell
ing point when he asked Mr.. Caps If
the Seaboard could make profit by
carrying grain from Philadelphia to
Tampa for twelve cents why they
could not bring it to Ocala for twelve
cents.
Mr.. Spencer then established by ex-
animation that there was no water
competition on grain between Jack
sonville and Tampa, and that the rate
of twelve cents from Jacksonville to
Tampa, and the rate of fifteen cents
from Jacksonville to Ocala, was more
or less arbitrarily fixed, and was
without justification or excuse.
| Mr.. Spencer Inen TOOK up the ques-
ton o. fresh meats, and brought out
by questioning the witness that there
was no competition whatsoever by
water on fresh meats to the city of
Tampa, but that the railroads were
deliberately charging Ocala fifteen
cents freight on fresh meats from
Jacksonville, and only charging Tam
pa eleven cents for fresh meats from
Jacksonville.
Mr.. Spencer tnen asked Mr.. Capps
this question: "Mr Capps. what justi-
fication can the Seaboard Air Line pre-
sent for making the people of Ocala
pay your line fifteen cents freight on
fresh meats from Jacksonville when
they charge the people of Tampa only
| eleven cents?'
Mr. Caps replied: There is no JUS
LITIGATION, and | do not attempt to Of
fer any"
The charge IS indefensible, and it
should be changed.
| Mr. Spencer then :oox up article
after article on which greater charges
were made from Jacksonville to Ocala
than from Jacksonville to Tampa, and
on cross examination practically the
same result was reached as on the ar
ticle of fresh meats.
Mr.. Spencer then asked the witness:
'How is it, Mr.. Capps, that on first
class goods you charge "a per cent.
more from Jacksonville to Ocala than
you charge from Jacksonville to Tam
pa, and on third class goods you
charge AZ per cent. more?"
Mr.. Caps said that he could not ex-
plain, except that the rates were made
before he became connected with the
Seaboard.
Mr.. Spencer then asked: How is it
that you charge 35 per cent. more on
second class goods and only IL per
cent. more on sixth class goods?"
Mr.. Caps could not explain.
1t was then developed that practical
" none of the rates from Jacksonville
to Tampa were regulated by water
competition between the two points.
and that. as a rule the rates charged
were arbitrary and without justifica-
tion.
i Mr.. Caps finally stated that his
road only desired to be relieved from