The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-10-16
Fifty signed a neutral position-show'
ing an indifference in the matter.

The board of trade: through It's sec
rotary, forwarded the several petit
tions to the railway commissioners at
Tallahassee, and that body fixed DC.
tober 18th as the day for all interest.
ed parties to appear before them In
Ocala to be heard in the matter.
The board of trade appointed a
committee of ten to appear before the
commissioners to present the afirma-
tive side of the question, and the rep
resentatiyes of the several railways
were present to oppose the proposi
ton. The several citizens who sign
ed the opposition petition were also
present and presented their side OF
the story.
Colonel Robert F. Rogers was made
chairman of the committee from the
board Of trade.
However, before he was heard, Mr.
r. Hudson Burr. chairman OF the rail.
way commission, read a letter from
Mr.. Capps, vice president of the Sea
board railway, asking that the time
be deferred, owing to the unparalleled
ed conditions which the railways OF
Florida were now struggling under.
Mr.. Burr intimated that the depressed
conditions of the railroads. owing To
conditions over which they had no
control, would be considered by the
commission In making up the find
ings.
Colonel Rogers, in opening the case
affirmatively for the petitioners, said
that Mr.. Rooney, secretary of the
board of trade. would read the reso-
luton and state the contention OF the
petitioners. He did so briefly and
we'll. He said. speaking for himself
as one of the signers, and as one OF
the committee, he would not urge the
construction of the work until times
became more normal, IL not more
prosperous. He was followed by Mr..
L. w. Duval, Mr.. ID. +. McIver, Mr..
George MacKay, Mr.. Frederick Hook
er, and a number of others In brief
addresses, but the reasons assigned
were very cogent and quite forcefully
put.
1t was shown how inconvenient II
was, especially for women and chill
dren, who wanted to change from one
depot to another. especially In the
dead hours Of the night, when the
schedules were so arranged that only
few minutes were at their disposal
to go from one to the other depot. and
oftimes to see the train moving OF
and they left alone in the city without
friends, and perhaps without funds.
A great many other reasons were
assigned, which, to enumerate would
require several Columns of space. but
we believe that the arguments were
so strong and undeniable that they
impressed the commissioners favora.
bly,.
The negative petitioners said that
they were residents of Ocala. made
their headquarters here, and that TO
erect an union station would impose
a hardship upon them, as now the At
lantic Coast Line was so convenient
ly located that 1t saved them hack
fare going and returning, which small
amount in itself aggregated a great
deal in the course Of year.
The Seaboard said that Il did not
appear before the board to favor or
oppose the proposition of the union
depot, but was here to oppose its cree.
tion at this particular time. when the
roads were operating at loss.
The Ocala Northern said that u
was in the hands of the federal courts
and 1t did not believe that II could
even cometo ocala IL the union sta.
tion was ordered. for the reason that
II "OuAu NC uhdbtC W pay It's FiONQI=
tionate share of the terminal charges.
The Ocala and Southwestern said
that its length was only twelve miles,
had no passenger service. and was
being operated at loss. and II would
be an extraordinary hardship 10 be
compelled to aid In the construction
of an union station.
The Atlantic Coast Line said that
the erection of the proposed union
station would operate greatly TO the
disadvantage of the Coast Line. That
it was the longer line. and the only
way it could hope to cope with the
Seaboard as a competitive road was
because of the favorable location of
tie paSsauOar citation