The Ocala evening star., 1915-09-02
MEETING OF THE OCALA-
TRANSPORTATION COMPANY


TRANSPORTATION COMPANY
A special meeting of the stockhol-
ders of the Ocala transportation
Company was held last night in the
Board of Trade rooms with about
25 business men present. All of them
were stockholders in the company and
a dozen were among the heaviest
shippers of the city and the best pat
rons of the boat line from Jackson
vile to Silver Springs.
Secretary Rooney of the Board of
Trade acted as secretary of the meet
ing and Mr.. Ed Carmichael chairman.
Mr.. Carmichael stated that the OBJ
ject of the meeting was to talk over
the lack of financial and shipping
support of the line and to devise
some means of remedying both.
He stated that the gross earnings
of the boat line for the past month
had not equaled the expenses of each
trip; that with capacity of 60 tons
to the trip and three trips per week,
the boat was making two trips per
week and last week he had annulled
one of those, and the cargoes ran
from seven to ten tons.
He stated that 20 tons to the trip
would enable the boat line to make a
little money, after paying all ex-
penses, including the $3.50 per month
paid at the Jacksonville end for ter
minals, warehouse, loading and cler-
ical work
Mr.. Carmichael stated he had to
use his own private means and in
come of late to meet the necessary
expenses of the line and the company
was unable to borrow money on its
own note at the banks and some ar
rangement had to be made to meet
the temporary shortage till money
could come in.
Mr.. Carmichael said that if the lack
of patronage of the shipping public
and the lack of confidence in the line
at the banks was a personal matter
or personal feeling against him, he
would get out and let some other
man take charge of the line. The
gentlemen present assured Mr.. Car
michael that such was not the case
and he was the proper man for the
work.
A list of the merchants who do not
patronize the line at all and who
have no stock in it was called for and
rrivar bxy Mr. CorroiobaoI ord aIofbar
list of stockholders who ship little
or no goods by the line.
One of the heaviest shippers of the
city and by far the heaviest patron of
the line is the firm of McIver & Mac
Kay. Mr.. McIver stated the firm was
making money on their shipments.
That it was getting everything it re-
ceived, except brick, by the boat line
and made it condition with the ship
pers that goods must be routed that
way and where they were not, charg-
ed the different in freight back to
them and made them pay it. Some
of the merchants complained that ii
was well nigh impossible to have their
goods come by the boat line from
certain houses and points, but Mr.
McIver said if they did as his house
did they would have no trouble.
Mr.. McIver said that the saving on
freights was so great that they had
to get out new cost and selling sheets
and in marking up goods the differ.
ence in saving was very noticeable
and he would not quit the line or &c
back to the railroads for anything.
Mr.. Wheeler, of the Marion Hard.
ware Company, said his firm hac
practically all of its goods come by
the boat line and that the company
had estimated that its $500 stock
subscription in the line had already
paid for itself in savings in freight.
For immediate relief to the finan.
cial condition of the line and unit
| the anticipated increase in tonnage
will not only enable the line to bt
self-sustaining but pay the loan back
note was authorized made for $500
for 90 days and bankers present
stated that it would be satisfactory
| and for its security five of the bes
men in the city, financially speaking
and heavy shippers on the line, agreed
to endorse it and stand responsible
for its payment, if the boat Hn'
should never do so.
The faith of the few, the satisfac
tory way their freight is handled anC
the big saving in freight would, i
seem, convince the skeptical that tn,
line is a success if they will just giv'
it their patronage.
1t would look like, however, tha
many of the merchants do not reall!
want lower freight rate for Ocala
that they are perfectly satisfied will
/ the exorbitant freight rates charged