The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-03-24

asked Mr.. Capps If the Seaboard
could make profit by carrying grain
from Philadelphia TO Tampa for
. twelve cents why it could not bring
it to OcaIa for twelve cents.
Mr.. Spencer then established that
there was no water competition on
grain between Jacksonville and Tam
pa, and that the rate of twelve cents
from Jacksonville to Tampa, and the
vile to Ocala. was more or less ar
bitrarily fixed, and was without JUS
tification or excuse.
Mr.. Spencer then took up the ques-
ton of fresh meats, and brought out
that there was no competition what
soeyer by water on fresh meats to
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 then asked Mr.. Capps
! this question: Mr.. Capps, what JUS
! tification can the Seaboard Air Line
present for making the people of
Ocala pay your line fifteen cents
freight on fresh meats from Jackson
vile when they charge the people of
! TIA NINA only a1aVpp 1''
Mr.. Capps replied: There is no
justification, and l do not attempt to
offer any"
Mr.. Spencer then took up article
after article ON which greater charges
were made from Jacksonville to
Tampa, and on cross-examination
practically the same result was
reached as on the article of fresh
meats.
Mr.. Spencer then asked the wit
ness: How is it, Mr.. Capps, that on
first class goods you charge "a per
cent. more from Jacksonville to
Ocala than you charge from Jackson
vile to Tampa, and on third class
goods you charge At per cent
more?"
! Mr.. Capps said that he could not
explain, 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.. Capps could not explain.
II was then developed that prac-
tically none of the rates from Jack
scnville 10 Tampa were regulated by
water competition between the two
points, and that as a rule the rates
charged were arbitrary and without
justification.
/ Mr.. Capps finally stated that his
read only desired to be relieved
from the law on wall paper, cement
fertilizer and fertilizer materials.
Mr.. Taylor of Gainesville asked
several hard questions about the ce
fact that the rate from Jacksonville
TO Tampa was a dollar ton anG
from Jacksonville to Ocala it was
s1.90 a ton. Mr. Capps did not sat
isfactorily explain why such discrim
ination was made.
Mr.. L. S. Light asked some peril
nent questions about the capitaliza
ton of the Seaboard, bringing ou
the fact that the Seaboard Air Line
was capitalized at s65, 700 per mile
when as a matter of fact, it took onl,
} eight or ten thousand dollars PEI
mile to build it.
Chairman Burr stated that thu
Sea board had s5S,O00,OO6 Of water
ed stock. He said that the railroad
commission did not intend to fl,
rates on the capitalization of th'
company, but on the actual physica
valuation of the same.
Mr.. Light then filed as an exhib;
with the railroad commission a type
written document showing the gros
: earnings of the Seaboard for a mum
Der OF years past, and showing tn,
capitalization now and in 1900.
Mr.. B. A. Weathers made a forci
bic address, telling why the whole
sale merchants Of the interior hat
been driven out Of business He sait
Continued on Page Five1