The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1915-12-17
LETTER FROM RAILROAD
COMMISSIONER DUNN
Tallahassee, Dec. Ia, 1915.

Tallahassee, Dec. IA, 1915. /
Editor Star: | am in receipt Of IS
sue of your paper and note in your
editorial column that you express a
preference to my candidacy over that
of my opponent, for which | am very
thankful to you. / am sure that as
the campaign goes on, your sense of
fairness and your desire to have re-
tanned on the board man who is
trained in the work and who has not
shown himself unfaithful to the pub
lie interests, will cause you to ex-
press your preference in. even,
stronger manner.
In order to convince you that / de-
serve the active support throughout
the state of such influential citizens
as yourself, / am going to recall in
as brief manner as possible, some of
the more important things that have
been accomplished by the commission
since | have been member, which
/ actively supported. Since l have
been member of the commission. we
have forced reduction in the rates
on fruits and vegetables to the North
ern markets from all the South Flor
ida counties. This amounts to a saw
ing of probably $4,000 per annum
To the vegetable and fruit growers of
the state. We have forced a reduc-
ton in the express rates affecting ev-
cry county in the state, which
amounted to approximately 100000
per annum. After quite a contest
with some of the roads, we forced
reduction in joint rates of freight on
all railroads in the state, except the
Florida East Coast, with which we
are now engaged in contest in the
courts, we having won out in the SUI
preme court. This reduction will
probably amount to $4,000 a year to
the shippers and receivers of freight
in the state. We have forced a re-
duction in the passenger rate on the
Louisville & Nashville railroad from
&c to &c per mile, amounting to about
$21, 900 per annum on that line. This
you know was won after long con-
test in the courts. In February, 1914,
we forced reduction in the lumber,
brick, sand, stone and crate material
rates on all the railroads in the state
except the Florida East Coast, which
is yet contesting. The reduction .on
the Atlantic Coast Line alone,
amounts to about $4,000 per annum.
The reduction on the Seaboard is not
quite as great. The reduction as
shown by expert accountants will
amount to between $4,000 and S40,-
900 per annum on the Florida East
Coast, which handles a very much
less tonnage than the Seaboard or
Coast Line. The reduction on the
Louisville & Nashville amounts to
many thousand dollars per annum
Finally, we forced reduction of the
entire scale of freight rates on the
Louisville & Nashville in October,
1914, which affects the freight rates
on nearly every article passing over
that line of railroad in the state of
Florida. This reduction was secured
after very strong opposition on the
part of that road.
Coming to Ocala proper during this
time, in order to help the lime ship
pers at and near Ocala, we forced
reduction in the rate on lime for agri-
cultural purposes, which enabled this
product to become used generally
throughout the state. The rate was
cut about in half. On petition of the
fertilizer company, which was organ
lied at @Ocala, we forced reduction
in the rates on fertilizer material of
| % per cent. This reduction affects
every railroad in Florida, and must