The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-03-28
The We
Coast Route

What is probably the best review Vi
1.-THE purposes of the present propagah
da of the active organizations OF Tue
West Coast. civic and commercial 10
secure a re-routing of freight an"
passenger traffic to this section Is
given in an article prepared TO: pup
LEGATION in the next issue of Tampa
Truisms, the publication lssueu
monthly by the Tampa Board OF
Trade.
For many years the 3o-mile gap Of
the Atlantic Coast Line railroad De
tween Perry and Monticello and Sc
rios Of breaks in the Seaboard Ar
Line railway looking from BROOKS
Vile towards Tallahassee through IN
vcrness, Archer and Perry, have con-
fronted us on the railroad map, OBJ
structed us and our winter guests IN
the actuality of travel, held our
fre;ght rates to combination on
Jacksonville, irrespective of routing
and we have wondered when TINS
West Coast section might come into
its own.
Now in the exigency of war; the
federal government has assumed con-
troll and operation of all the railroads
OF the country, that they be made to
serve the common good without re
gard to individual ownership, lone
haul preferential traffic agreements
CT what not
Hitherto, in light of all precedent
secured by decision OF court and com
mission, it had been rash to think OF
a coalition of opposing transportation
interests, but the new regime OF tbs
continental system of railroads of the
nited States of America knows nc
barrier. Conservation is the watch
word of the day Fuel, equipment mo
tive power, man power must be
placed and utilized to best advantage
Waste energy is CRIME. No time for
construction, unless it be imperative
but with names erased from the intri.
cate maze of railway lines as laiG
down on the map there appears won.
dcrful opportunities for re-routing o!
freight and passenger traffic, and the
director general appointed by the
president is studying just that very
situation.
So, as an immediate alternative tC
the ultimate mending of those g!arine
gaps in the individual properties, We
discover existing lines OF railroad
tnat need but the master mind anC
hand to direct the trend of traffic
wisely, economically, efficiently. anC
by force of circumstances undreamed
unh!dden, to establish a natura
route between the north and the west
and the West Coast of Florida.
To st. Petersburg belongs the cred.
it for pressing the matter at this time
and at their behest county, munich.
pal, civic and commercial organiza.
tons representing "a counties and
over two-thirds the population of the
State have adopted resolutions in the
form of a petition addressed to the
Honorable William G. McAdoo. direc.
tor general of the railroads, calling
attention to these present conditions
and asking relief, to the benefit not
only OF this immediate section but OF
the county at large.
The counties responding, with theil
population according to 1915 census
are: Alachua, 1886; Citrus, 5,2S5;
DE Soto, 22,194; Hamilton, 124S4,
fernando, 6,291; Hillsborough. 49,.
6S2; Jefferson, 1897; Lafayette
1850; Lake, 12,421; Lee, 1854; Leon
2O,iS5; Levy, 1892; Madison, 1884
Manatee, 1876; Marion, 2S,75S; Pas
co, 1854; Pinellas, 1854; Polk, 81,
1923; Sumter, 1917; Suwannee, 2O,2S6
Taylor, 1875; Escambia, 41117: San
ia Rosa, 2O,745; Walton, 16.473
Holmes, 14,O79; Washington. 11123
Bay, 1898; Jackson, 1881; Calhoun
1853; Franklin, 5,4SS; Liberty, 492,
Gadsden, 22,9SO Wakula. 1906 Tota
population, 610,150