The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-12
HOT AFTER THE FAKIR
HOUSES IN JAX.

Jacksonville, Jan. 12-Stanton
Walker, special legal representative
of the jacksonville Chamber of Com
merce, will begin a general investi
cation today of the commission
merchants" commission brokers
and dealers of the come by morn
ing and fly by night variety. The
attention of the secretary's office
has been called to the fact that ship
ners Of fruits. vegetables and poul-
try, especially from various points
Of the State to concerns here, have
not only failed to realize on the same
! but have not been accorded the
courtesy of an acknowledgment of
shipments.
/ In most cases it is stated that
these irresponsible firms have used
the press of the State in an advertis-
ing way, later following up such
advertisement with extravagant let
tiers, claiming that most advantage
eous PRICES could be obtained. The
Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce
has received half dozen letters,
some of them of rather heart
rending sort, stating that concerns
here have tilched produce and made
no report. Efforts of the chamber
of commerce to fasten the respon-
sibility resulted in finding that such
concerns were out of business en-
tirely.
The Embezzlemept Feature
Attorney Walker will immediate
ly get busy on the theory that any
one who seeks shipments of produce
and fails to even honor the receipt
of the same after a reasonable dur
alton of time, is nothing less than
an emhezzler There will be elimi-
nations of course in the case of con-
Germs in bankruptcy and those which
have done their best to make good
but be aims to probe in general
those who apparently show they
were in business for the sake OF
fraud.
Civic pride impels us to not only
protect the man who ships to the
markets here but the legitimate
commission man who might by i'm.
plication be brought into disrepute,
stated Mr.. Walker. He feels thai
he has already evidence which is Of
practically a criminal sort against
certain persons. His investigation.
will be thorough. He is anxious thai
the reputable commission men of the
city give him clues and facts as tt
the "Hy by night fakirs."
Freight and Express Bills.
In the general rounding up thos'
who are an imposition to the bust
ness life of the city, Mr.. Walker il
anxious that all who have lost at tn
hands of commission men here, sen,
their freight and express receipts, to
gether with a brief statement of tn
case to him, care Of The Atlanti
Naional bank building, this city
Iu this manner he believes that gen
eral theories can be worked GU
which will lead to cases being mad
out.
!. The chamber of commerce is
receipt of one letter which state
that the writer has been shippin
:. poultry to this city from down tn
S State The writer states that he
now actually in need of shoes an
: clothing but has been unable to co
t lect or receive acknowledgement O
the shipments.
n From al, appearances, it is o.
e lieved that the losses sustained hay
been through producers dealing wit
irresponsible concerns while thel
>, are many others here who wou
properly market consignments. I'll
!. total elimination OF fakirs, is Il
~ aim CT the chamber of commerce f
the sake of the good name of Il