The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-09-11
ROONEY ELECTED CHAIRMAN o.
TRUCKERS BODY


truck growers, representatives of
transportation companies and other
organizations interested In the well
fare of the shippers and the finding
of better and more profitable markets
for the Florida producers. especially
those who ship vegetables in less
than carload quantities, convened
this morning at 10 o'clock in the audi.
forum Of the Jacksonville Board OF
Trade.
The time this morning the meeting
adjourned fer lunch at noon to recon
vene at 2 o'clock. was occupied prin.
cipally with organizing and getting
under way. ]. ID. Rooney, Secretary
of the Marion County Board of Trade.
Ocala Florida, with whom the idea
originated was elected chairman and
H. s. Kealhofer, traffic manager OF
the Jacksonville Board of Trade was
made secretary.
Chairman Rooney appointed a com
mittee of seven, consisting of c. J.
Krantlin, of Baker county. chairman;
DR.. R. T. Weaver, of Marion county;
l. B. Hockaday, of the Southern Ex-
press Company; H. A. Martin. OF sum
ter county; B. S. Hammer, of Hills.
boro county; H. S. Kealhofer. traffic
manager of the Jacksonville Board OF
Trade, and ]. d. Rooney, of ocala.
This committee went into special
session Immediately after the adjourn
ment for lunch and was closeted un-
til nearly o'clock formulating pre-.
amble and resolutions for presenta-
ton at the afternoon session.
Chairman Rooney based his remarks
this morning on the following extract
from the report of the National Score.
tary of Agriculture.
1--WE have Enthusiastically reached
the period where we must think and
plan. We are suffering the penalty
of too great ease of living and of max
ing a living. 1t is not singular that
we should find ourselves in our pres.
ent plight. Recklessness and waste
have been incidental to our breath
less conquest of a nation. and we have
had our minds too exclusively direct
ed to the establishment of industrial
supremacy in the keen race for compe
tition with foreign nations. We have
been bent on building up great indus.
trial centers by every natural and ar.
tificial device that we have had little
thought for the very foundations Of
our industrial existence.
In dealing with the problem of pro.
duction, the department has directed
it's attention mainly to the problem of
the individual farmer. and the broad
er economic problems of rural life
have received relative little attention.
1t is now becoming clear that we must
definitely and aggressively approach
these newer and, relatively speaking.
denly brought face to face with the
fact that in many directions further
production waits on better distribu-
ton, and that the field of distribution
presents problems which raise in very
grave ways the simple issue of Justice
The under existing conditions in
many instances the farmer does not
get what he should for his product;
that the consumer is required to pay
an unfair price; and that unnecessary
burdens are imposed under the exist
ing systems of distribution, there can
be no question.
"Just what part of the burden is due
to lack of systematic planning, or in
efficiency and economic waste, or to
unfair manipulation, one cannot say.
AS difficult as are the problems of pro-
duction, they are relatively simple as
compared with those of distribution,
and there is danger not so much that
nothing will be done, but the pressure
will be brought to bear on the depart
ment to take action everywhere be-
fore it is prepared to act intelligently
anywhere. The department has Civ
en- assistance here and there in the
past; it is prepared to give further as
sistance and information now, and IL
has shaped its projects and instituted
more systematic Investigations. which |
should have results of great practical
value to individuals and communities.
"This extension ofactivity has been
under the act of congress approved
March 4, 1918, which confers the
board authority indicated:
"To enable the Secretary of Agri-
culture to acquire and diffuse among
the people of the United States useful
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