The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1914-03-27

intense interest was manifested
Monday in Ocala at the hearing of the
railroad commissioners for the pur-
pose of determining whether or not
the railroads of the state should be re-
lieved of the "long and short haul" act
passed by the last legislature.
The long and short haul act, in SUBJ
stance, says that no greater charge
shall be made for a short haul than
for long haul over the same line and
in the same direction, and that the
railroad commissioners of the state. in
special instances, may relieve the com
mon carriers from this law upon prop.
er showing made to the commission.
ers that the enforcement of the law
would be detrimental to the interests
of the carriers as well as to the inter
ests of the public.
The law went into effect on January
LIST, and Immediately all of the COM
mon carriers of the state filed petit
tions with the railroad commission
asking that they be relieved from the
provisions of the act, and the hearing
in Ocala Monday was hearing set by
the commissioners to receive testi-
mony on the sides both of the common
carriers and the people as to whether
or not the petitions should be granted.
The petition of the Seaboard Air
Line was the first matter to come be-
fore the commission.
The petition of the Seaboard stated
that for many years an extremely low
scale of rates had been effective be-
tween Jacksonville and Tampa. The
petition went on to state further that
the low scale of rates between the two
places mentioned was a necessity, be-
cause of water competition, and the
petition asked that the Seaboard be
relieved from the requirements of the
act, especially on wall plaster cement,
fertilizer and fertilizer materials.
The petition concluded by stating
that so far as the cigar rates are con-
cerned from Tampa to Jacksonville,
that the Seaboard was not able to pre-
sent any reasons why a less charge
should be made into Jacksonville from
Tampa than from Tampa to Ocala.
Mr.. C. R. Caps, vice president of
the Seaboard, was the first witness on
behalf of the common carriers, and
was called upon by Chairman Burr
Immediately after the commission had
assembled, and the statement of the
purposes of the meeting made by the
chairman.
All of the common carriers in the
state we're represented by counsel, or
by officials, and their representatives
presented quite an imposing array.
The local board of trade was repre-
sented by Mr.. Edwin Spencer, Jr., and
Mr.. Light appeared as the representa-
tive of the faraming interests, and Mr..
Taylor of Gainesville appeared for the
Gainesville board of trade. Other rep
resentatives of various boards of
trade in the state were in attendance.
Mr., Caps attempted to justify the
present rates from Jacksonville to
Tampa on the theory of water compe-
tition, stating that the present scale
of rates to Tampa was made in order
that his railroad might be able to
compete with boat lines from New
York and Philadelphia. Mr.. Capps
mentioned a number of individual ar
ticles on which he claimed this COM
petition existed, and made an effective
plea for relief from the act.
Mr.. Spencer cross-examined Mr..
Camps, and made many telling points
on cross-examination. Mr.. Spencer
FIRST brought out on cross-examination
that there was no boat line competing
with the Seaboard between Jackson
Vile and Tampa. He then took M