The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-02-04

impression that Marion County does
not belong in the citrus belt OF the
state. Last year and this your Secre-
tary has advocated the planting OF
more orange trees in Oca1a for deco
rative purposes and as means OF cali
ing attention to the fact that Marion
IS prominently citrus county. This
matter has been before the Board OF
Trade several times, and a committee
will make drive shortly to secure the
planting of trees in the city. En-
couragement and assistance has been
given the Florida Orange Corporation
who will plant about 100 acres Of
citrus fruits just south of the city.
New Industries
During the year information has
been given several parties figuring on
the location of new industries in this
section of Florida. One proposition
was investigated by committee APP
pointed for the purpose and recon-
mended against. Through the instru-
mentality of the Board of Trade your
Secretary has good reason to believe
that new industry will very shortly
be located in this county. He is not
at liberty to give the project any pub.
licity at this time.
River Transportation
An effort was made to arouse inter-
est in the development of freight traf-
fic on the river, with view to giving
Ocala lower freight rates generally,
but no Roadway was made in this
most important problems affecting
this city. And attention should again
be called to the fact that the Army
Engineers have given warning that
the spending of money on the i'm
provement of the rivers is dependent
upon the development of traffic and
provision for public docking facilities.
Miscellaneous
In July your Secretary attended a
meeting of Commercial Secretaries in
Orlando and had the honor of being
elected Secretary-treasurer of the
Florida State Commercial Secretaries
Association. The Board of Trade en-
dorsed the Townsend Bill providing
for national system Of highways.
Your Secretary attended a meeting
held in Gainesville by the Chamber OF
Commerce there for the purpose of
protesting against articles in the
Country Gentlemen disappearing
Florida. Your Secretary had previous
ly written letter Of protest to the
Editor Of the Country Gentlemen. Dur
ing the watermelon shipping season
the United States Bureau of Markets
representative had an office in the
Board of Trade room and distributed
daily bulletins all over the state from
this point Whenever it had an OPP
portunity the Board of Trade cooper
ated with the various railroad repre-
sentatives. Your Secretary has cooper
ated in the forming of the Ocala Base
ball Association to promote a season
of games in Ocala during the coming
summer. BY correspondence and in
terview information was furnished Mr..
Fred Good Roads Smith, of New
Jersey and ST. Petersburg, looking to
the transporting of small pleasure mo-
tor boats from Silver Springs to the
Withlacoochee and to thus save many
hundred miles between the eastern
ports and the cruising grounds of the
Gulf Coast. The Board of Trade room
has been used for the meetings of va
rious kinds by other organizations.
Though without result the Board of
Trade cooperated with the. CONNER
cial bodies of Gainesville and Lees
burg in an effort to have the Atlantic
Coast Line operate the "Pinellas
Special through these cities. A com
mittee has been appointed to look in
to conditions at the union station re-
quiring passengers from trains to
alight in rain and mud A protest was
sent to the United States Shipping
Board against a change of ocean rates
on phosphates, as between the Allan
tic and Gulf ports Employment has
been found for number Of persons
during the year. Other organizations
IN the city. county and state have
been cooperated with. Arrangements
were made for temporary landing
field for airplanes in the western part
OF the city and many persons have as
a result enjoved plane rides. both last
year and this. 1t is not possible. Of
course. to recite the innumerable
small services rendered during the
course Of the year; services which ii
Is the business of M o+hor rr,,,