The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-09-16
DISCUSSES NORTH
AND WEST FLORIDA
BOARDS OF TRADE

Pensacola's refusal to enter a COM
mercial organization covering the ter
ritory between the Atlantic Ocean
and the Perdido river, is rendered the
organization by Secretary James F.
Phillips of the chamber OF commerce,
in the following letter to Mrs. F. r.
s. Phillips, secretary of the Talla-
hassee Boosters Club:
"Dear Mrs. Phillips:
81 am very sorry indeed, but [
am still unable to bring myself to
accept a proposition looking toward
the creation of an organization the
purpose of which is to look after the
commercial affairs of the entire
stretch of territory between the At
lantic Ocean and the Perdido river.
'The section you propose to incor-
porate into one organization varies
from forty to sixty miles in width
and is three hundred and ninety miles
long. 1t contains two elements which
are Numerically opposed-Pensacola
and Jacksonville. Jacksonville natur-
ally is seeking to attract to herself
| and to that portion of the state south
of Jacksonville, all tourists and home
seekers; Pensacola is trying to at
| tract to herself and the territory
east of her, all tourists and home
| seekers. The aims and objects of the
| two cities can never be combined; in
the very nature of things, their in
terests are opposed. Furthermore
the division of interests between the
/ two cities extends itself to that Sec
ton of territory adjacent to each city
The eastern part of the state is serv-
ed by the railroads from Jacksonville
reads the Jacksonville papers, does its
shopping and buying in Jacksonville
and naturally, looks to Jacksonville
in all things. In the same way the
western section looks to Pensacola
/ reads the Pensacola papers, and buys
in Pensacola.
"What l hoped was that you would
see your way clear to come into the
West Florida Chamber of Commerce
and work with us in building up this
great section of the state. 1t is my
firm belief that the state of Florida
will some day be divided into tive
Florida and West Florida
This may be a great many years il
future, but it is sure to come on &C
count of the differing conditions il
this section and in the peninsula. TIL
action we take now will probably hav
great effect in determining the lin
of division. Will it be the Chattahoo
chez, the Aucilla river or the Suwan
nee? / am inclined to believe it vii
be the Aucilla river. In that case
Tallahassee will be the capitol of tn
new state of West Florida. If tn
line were established at the Chatta
hoochee river, Tallahassee would b
left in the cold entirely, because tn
peninsula section would insist upol
capital near the center of the stat
and would then have the politiea
power to move it. If you will loo
into history you will find that tn
boundary of the state of Florida wa
fixed at the Perdido river instead o
at Mobile bay, by just exactly such
conflict of sentiment as now exist
between that part of Florida west o
the Chattahoochee river and that pan
between the Aucilla and Chattahoc
chez rivers.
please think this over CAREFUL
and see if you cannot make up you
mind to persuade your members I
come in with US.
| "Yours very truly,
(Signed). JAS. F. PHILLIPS,
Secretary"