The Ocala evening star., 1915-04-28
BOARD OF TRADE
Long Step Taken Toward Permanent
Establishment of the Oklawaha
Freight Line

Freight Line
Quite an enthusiastic meeting OF
the Board of Trade was held last ev-
ening, President Rogers presiding.
| The principal business of the eve
ming was to hear the report of the
committee on raising stock subscrip-
tions for the freight boat line be-
tween Jacksonville and Silver Springs
and to talk over the situation with a
view of securing more subscribers
and pushing the good work forward.
Mr.. Ed Carmichael was present and
answered many questions put to him
by the business men who are interest
ed in the line. A number of those
present made strong talks for the
line and explained what great work
for Ocala can be established by the
merchants getting into the plan with
their money and influence, all sticking
together and bringing their freight
by the water route.
The Different merchants who have
been receiving part or all of their
freight by this line for the past few
weeks told in no uncertain language
of how satisfactory it is proving;
how quickly their freight is brought
and delivered into their places of
business with an actual saving of SO
per cent on the rail rate from Jack
sonville.
Mr.. Jake Brown, Mr.. D. E. McIver
and others stated that several of the
largest shippers had not yet given
the committee any encouragement
and had not taken stock; and that the
committee felt very keenly that the
cooperation and hearty assistance of
every firm in town was needed to
make the plan a success.
Finally, the board thanked the
members of the committee for their
fine work and voted to continue the
committee that more stock subscrip-
tions might be secured, and that they
might work on the Indifferent ones
and urge them to come in.
Mr.. z. c. Chambliss, who had for
merly thought the plan unfeasible
and one of Ed CarmichaePs pet hob
bies, said he was now convinced that
it was good thing and subscribed
for one share of stock. Col. Rogers
took one share, Mr.. A. T. Thomas one
share and the Ashley Sheet Metal
Works one share. We publish below
the subscribers of the boat line stock
so far.
The plan is to take over the pres
ent boat, the G. A. Carmichael and
the big truck, and to build another
boat, larger and in some respects bet
ter than the present one, put on an
other truck and thus be enabled to
haul practically all of the freight for
Ocala.
1t is estimated that the net saving
to the business people of the city will
pay for the boat line, several times
over, each year.
Ten thousand dollars will buy an
other boat and truck, for the Carmi-
chaels propose TO take stock in the
company 70 the extent of their pres
ent investment, so the public is not
subscribing a dollar for the -Carmi-
chaels, but for itself.
Without an exception every man
who has been receiving freight by the
boat line was more than satisfied with
the service and the saving in freight.
This great saving in a hundred mile
haul in hardly clear to the average
person.
Ocala is peculiarly handicapped in
the way of freight rates. This can
not be too often hammered into our
people. We pay more freight from
Jacksonville to Ocala, than from
Jacksonville to New York, hence if
we can save one-half CT the larger
portion of this haul, we are saving
about 30 per cent of the entire
freight from any Of the northern
cities frem whence comes this freight.
On freight originating in Jackson
vile, or coming there in solid car
loads or on vessels and then re-ship-
ned to Ocala, which is the same
thing, the saving is exactly one-half.
The merchants of Ocala simply
have to fight every inch of the way
TO live, on account of this discrimina-
ton in freight rates. A carload or
local shipment can go from New York
TO Tampa, right through Ocala, for
haK what It would be to Ocala, be-