The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-11-29


Mr.. Gerig. at is up to this meeting to
show the engineers what the situation
is. If the canal lowers the freight
rates, then the government will have
been justified in constructing the
canal"
D. c. Stiles Jr. thought the canal
should be built by the city or county,
or both, by means of a bond issue. He
asked whether or not the United
States had ever dug a similar canal
anywhere. Engineer Fineran, an
swering the question, said that he
knew of no such canal anywhere, but
that lately it had been a policy of the
government to dig channels up to
cities, up to the boat slips themselves.
Congressman Clark called attention
to the fact that Congress had author
lied a survey, and said that this show
&c that Congress entertains an idea of
digging the canal if it should be found
feasible.
j. D. Rooney, who, as secretary of
the board of trade, gathered a mass
of statistics and worked hard for the
canal, called attention to errors in the
recent report of Major Ladue as print
ed in the Congressional Record. Mr..
Rooney said he would call the atten-
ton of the engineers to these errors.
he called attention to the bill pro-
viding for the improvement of the
Oklawaha. This improvement, Mr..
Rooney said, must go through sooner
or later, because it has the endorse
ment of the government engineers.
He said the canal would be an addi-
tional lever looking to the river de-
velopment. He said that Ocala would
never have lower freight rates until
the merchants dig down in their pock-
cts and employ a rate expert to ascer-
tain just what is wanted. With the
situation here thoroughly thrashed out
by an expert, Mr.. Rooney said that the
fight should then be taken before the
Interstate Commerce Commission.
"You must have an established boat
line on the river before the govern
ment will act" said Mr.. Rooney.
when the government has acted, and
the river has been improved, then
take your fight before the Interstate
Commerce Commission and have Ocala
made basing point"
Mr.. Rooney said that some mer-
chants in the city were now enjoying
lower freight rates than others, and
that these merchants stood in the way
Of fight for better rates for all lest
they themselves lose out with the rail-
roads.
A. R. Sandlin stressed the impor-
lance of taking into consideration the
possible business to result from the
digging of canal. He pointed to the
fact that this section is one of the
richest in the state, and only needs
better transportation facilities to
bring under cultivation all of the un-
cleared and undeveloped acres. He re-
ferred to the failure on the part of
the railroads to properly care for the
transportation of perishables by pro-
viding properly fumigated and re-
frigerated cars, Mr.. lSandlin said he
thought that it would simply be a
question of time before water trans
portation would be used to force the
railroads to provide better facilities
of this kind. Congressman Clark
agreed with Mr.. Sandlin that the pos
sible business to result from the canal
should be placed before the engineers
John Dozier told the meeting that
he was agent for the railroad at the
time referred to by Mr.. Fishel. He
said that E. W. Agnew & Company
did an immense business at that time
and was given special rates by the
railroads based on the water rates at
Palatka. This, said Mr.. Dozier, was
evidence of what can be done here
with low freight rates. Under pres
ent conditions, Mr.. Dozier said, the
merchants of Ocala were eating them
selves up, not being able to get out
side of the city limits before running
against impossible competition. Water
transportation, he said, is the only
way out.
'The development of the river and
canal would permit outside capital to
put boat lines in operation, under the
laws of the state and federal govern
nnent," said Mr.. Dozier. "a few mer-
chants trying to run boat won't get
US anywhere"
The committee named to cooperate
with the engineers, will get busy i'm
mediately. The engineers want the
information by next week. The sur
| vey for the proposed canal will be
made if the engineers find that the in
formation obtained shows that the
project is worthy one