The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-02-20
A REMARKABLE coNFEsslo,

blue growers convention which
in this city last Thursday. was a.
very frank confession OF Mr.. J.
Hockaday. superintendent Of q.
Southern Express Company.
This gentleman had the candor
say that the express company 1.
years rested Hnder the belief thst
knew how to conduct its own businss
better than anyone else did. Tor "A.
reason that ii had in its serVice a.
| best talent prOcurable-men who ~.
experts in their particular line Of b.
mess, who had made a study Of rata
and, the company believed. had ma.
tered the problem
Mr.. Hockaday was frank enough "A
confess that the company was ma
taken, and that IL had been taught
lesson by the interstate commero
commission in the matter OF rates
and since applying the rates under a.
| forms and in the manner prescribes
by the interstate commerce commls.
sion that it was .ound 10 be vastly "a.
perior to the old system. and "a,
much fairer and more equitable.
The interstate commerce commis
sion has established the zone system
after the manner of the parcel post
and it thereby places all sections o.
parity. giving no section. nor a.
shipper, an unfair advantage over an
other.
The shipper living on the Pacihl
coast pays the same express charge.
on a package weighing one hundre'
pounds going one thousand miles cas-
as the shipper on the Atlantic coas
pays on a similar package going on
thousand miles west. and so OF a
shipper living on the gulf coast Q
Mexico shipping north. or the shippe
on the great lakes shipping a simlla
package south.
No favoritism is shown. Every "a
is made TO stand on its own bolton
And what is the result? The expires
company frankly confesses that sue
system is better for the expires
company and better for the shippe
Why not make the Same applicl
ton of rates to the railroad con
panies?
Such an application of rates wi
build up Interior cities which vi
vastly accelerate railroad traffic, an
will make the railroad companis
vastly more prosperous for the vel
simple and obvious reason that ever
pound of freight coming and goiE
will be transported by the railroad
and the larger the interior cities gro
the more largely will railroad tran
and travel increase and multiply.
1t is so plain that he who runs ma
read, and if adopted by the railrOs
companies, they, like the express col
panies. will wonder why it was n
adopted from the very beginning.
Not to adopt this system the ra
road companies stand very much
their own light, and they do great |
justice to every interior city, which
solely dependent upon them for tran
portation OF both freight and passe
gers.
As We are solely dependent up,
them, If they have any favoritism q
interior points ought to be the bene
Charles.
Under what rule of right or reasl
should the interior pay heavy exs
tions-a tremendous toll-to build
a few seacoast cities?
We want the zone system in the q
plication of railroad rates.
Despite its belief to the contrary.
works well for the express compal
and for the parcels post: why. the
would it not work just the same
made applicable TO the railroads.?
The railroads have no greater "a
experts than the express compani'
We have been shown how sadly th
were mistaken in the belief that tn
knew better than anyone else how
operate their own business. but
soon as trying new and an entir,
different system. which was recast
for them, they freely and frankly c,
fess their error.
If the same system is fixed for
railroads by the slate and intersts
commissions ii will not be sig mont
before they will be making the sal
confessions.
Another thing: There win be
cause for any further grIeyau
against them. The shippers and I
roads will be brought together In cl
or bonds of union. There will be
more glaring discrimination and d
qualities. Every tub will be made