The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1918-12-30
HAMPERING OUR
REGIONAL DIRECTOR
(Tampa Tribune

Regional Director B. L. Winchell, is
doing all in the power of his Office to
give a satisfactory service over the
new west coast short route, which he
alone of all the railroad men ap
preached on the matter, saw was an
important one to large part of this
state, and over all his lines.
He has ordered mo long delays"
at functional points for the special
sleepers and day coaches, and he has
obviated these delays by ordering
special trains" to bring them to des-
tination when the regulars. to which
they are ordinarily attached are ur,-
reasonably late.
The Official Railway Guide has been
revised to carry the routing and the
advantages of this short route; and
the regional director has further
benefited the service by providing
that "solid cars" from other points
than those touched by the original
order for this short route, shall, when
they are delivered to the "short
route" at any functional point, be
brought through as part of the short
route special. This means that cars
may be made up in Pittsburg, Chi
cago, ST. Louis. or any other place
even beyond these gateways, and rul,
through direct to Tampa or st. Pc
tersburg via the west coast short
route.
Everything is being done at this
end; but the regional director is ham
pered outside his territory, either by
carelessness, ignorance, or Grass in
| difference.
AS an illustration of this we cite
the following from an interview in
the Tribune of yesterday, where q
prominent Chicago business man who
has interests here, and who knew
about the short route, could not make
the Chicago agent sell him a ticket
to Tampa, except through Jackson
vile!
According to Mr.. Sudendorf, hi
tried to buy a ticket via the western
outlet from Chicago, and the official:
in the ticket office there insisted thai
there was no other way to get int
Florida except through Jacksonville
Mr.. Sudendorf purchased ticket tt
Cincinnati, at which point he wa
finally able to purchase a ticket rout
ed as he directed.
What really happened, as Mr.: Su
dendorf told the writer, was. he tolt
the Chicago agent. Il know that rout'
is open, and / want ticket tina
way" and the agent replied, cit ism
what you know or what you want
that is going to do you any good now
It's what you are going to get" HI
declares that becoming indignant h
bought ticket to Cincinnati, ant
there was able to buy ticket owe
the short route to Tampa.
The regional directors efforts t.
give justice to this section are bein,
sadly hampered by the imperiousnes
or the determination of certain ia
away ticket sellers or railroad ofic
ials, to recognize nothing new in tn
way of routes to any Florida point.
/ Another illustration of how the re
gional director is being hampere'
here is found in the story we carrie
some weeks ago relative to the della,
of shipment of paper from April t
December 6. The delay occurred eithe
in New York state or before reaching
there from the Canadian mills, tn
point of shipment. But the fact tina
officials and agents in that regio
were unable, or unwilling, to solve tn
problem of solid car lost nearl
eight months, is evidence that some
thing needs looking into elsewhere
When that shipment of paper reach
ed the Mallory docks in New York
came quickly to the Tribune.