The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-08-21

LeesDurg: T.. II. Mote, chairman;
]. Y. Clark, A. B. Efrd.
Mount Dora: ]. P. Donley. ]. d.
Price, ]. L. Maddox.
Tavares: t. w. Hunter, H. c.
Duncan, ]. w. Bell, w. G. Long, E.
NJ. Taney.
Eustis: C. E. Wood, A. L. Rus
sell, J. F. St. John, G. w. Holmes.
Okehumkee: T. c. Mastick, T. VI.
Winslow, G. P. Tyler, A T. knight.
The meeting was called to order
in the Leesburg opera house at 10
a. m. Mr.. Mote was elected chair
man and Mr.. Rooney secretary. The
organization adopted the name of
The Oklawaha River Improvement
Committee
Mr.. Mote opened the meeting with
few explanatory remarks, and
reading a telegram from Senator
Fletcher.
Secretary Rooney, in his usual
lucid style, explained the work al
ready accomplished, all of which
has also been faithfully recorded in
the Star.
The following letter, which was
presented by Mr.. Mote, was adopted.
1t is to be sent to a thousand repre-
sentative citizens of this section,
each of whom will be urged to
write to his representative, to en-
courage him to work for the needed
Improvement:
Dear Sir:
The section of Florida traversed
by and adjacent to the Oklawaha
river and it's tributaries, is vitality
interested in the early passage by
Congress of legislation affecting the
improvement of this river, known as
the Oklawaha project, and embodied
in the rivers and harbors bill, which
is now before the Senate. For many
years the peopleof this section have
Iabored increasingly to have the gen.
eral government improve this river,
believing, as we do, untold develop
ment in this rich and fertile section
of Florida would result therefrom.
The project has received the approx
al of the engineers for rivers and
harbors, has passed the House and
is now in the Senate.
The important factor that has re-
+o-5a5 +bo Jo1yoIrsrvy,ooTr% of tbic co.,
ton of Florida has been excessive
freight rates. Our chief industries
are the growing of fruits and vege-
tables and the production of lumber,
products which are consumed by the
markets of the country, but under
the present excessive freight rates,
frequently we are unable to market
our products at profit Then too.
we have to suffer from high cost of
transportation on incoming freights.
The improvement of the OklaWaha
river, by giving competitive water
way transportation system will
greatly reduce the cost of transpor-
tation and open up markets for our
products that we now cannot reach,
and in addition will permit the min
ing of our valuable clays, thousands
of tons of which lie dormant because
of the excessive freight charges to
transport to the potteries of the
North.
n 81 in I.a "a
on this bill has compelled the stop
page of many projects thruout the
country in which the people are vi
tally interested; it has stopped all
work of a development nature in
this section which is looking for the
early passage of this bill. We are,
therefore, appealing to our many
friends thruout the country for as
sistance. We are sending you this
letter asking that you write your
Senators and Congressman and
bring such influence as you can to
bear on them to speedily pass the
Rivers and Harbors Bill. Possibly
you can do this better by having
some friend write who stands closer
to your representative, but in any
event, your effort in our behalf-at
this time-will be very much appre-
ciated by the undersigned as we'll as
by the citizens of this section of
FLORIDA.
PertinentResolution
A committee consisting of Messrs.
Rooney, Wood and Bell, was del
egated to draw UP the following res
olutions, which were unanimously
adopted:
Whereas, The Oklawaha River
improvement Committee, assembled
at Leesburg, FLORIDA. August 20
1914, fully understanding the con
ditions of and Importance, not onl!
to Florida, but to the inland wate