The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-04-18

sand bag and as a club to enjoy a
favorable rate to Tampa over the
rails, thereby causing the interior
points to suffer to the extent that
their growth and development in
dustrially and in a wholesale way
has been seriously retarded by hav-
ing to pay tribute to your whole
sale and manufacturing interests and
because products and raw material
cauld be- hauled right through Lake
land to Tampa at a lower rate than
to our city. What you see, Mr..
Hoskins, in the fourth section is bust
ness slipping away from Tampa but
apparently you lack the vision to see
that in the building up of the interior
as a result of this very fair prin-
ciple, that Tampa in the end is going
to benefit because if your port, Mr..
Hoskins, is ever to develop into
pretentious port, there must be COM
modities on your wharves and piers to
load into vessels for the return
journey of ships if you get proper
coastwise transportation into Tampa
fro mthe eastern markets. The great
trouble you are experiencing and
have experienced in getting the
proper water transportation is not
so much due to the fact that there
is any secret understanding between
the water and rail TRANSPORTATION in
terest, as it is due to the fact that
while the ships may be able to bring
down a full cargo to Tampa, you
nave nothing to send back in those
SHIPS. Isn't that fact, Mr.. Hoskins?
NOW MI Hoskins, if you can get
cheap water transportation, if it will
save you from the penalties imposed
by your section (the long haul. pray
tell us wherein Tampa will be in
jured.
Isn't the truth of the matter. Mr..
Hoskins, the fact that Lakeland, Or
lando, Barlow, Ocala, Gainesville and
all interior points are going to at
last enjoy an equal showing and are
they not as result going to take
away from the wholesale and manu-
facturing interest of Tampa (who pay
you your salary a large part of the
trade that they now enjoy through a
very immoral rate structure. Isn't
this the thing that sticks in your
craw?
why didn't you, Mr.. HOskns, when
you quoted the proposed rates as
IN your reply to Mr.. Spencer, quote
the proposed rate to Tampa as well
as to Lakeland, thereby showing the
principle OF the long and short hauls.
why didn't you state, Mr.. Hoskins.
that Tampa will pay more than will
Lakeland, and the reason is. Mr..
Hoskins, that Tampa is thirty-two
miles south of Lakeland. Why didn't
you say that today the rate to Tam.
pa on this commodity is lower than
the rate to Lakeland or to Kissim-
NEE, or Orlando, although these
points are shorter haul and that
under the fourth section principle
the rates to Lakeland, Kissimmee.
orlando, etc, etc, will be lower than
the rate to Tampa?
By way of introduction. Mr. Hos.
kins, let me introduce to YOU Mr. ia.
YIN spencer, Jr., attorney for the
FLORIDA Traffic Equalization League.
make this introduction 80 that Won
may know who Mr.. Spencer is and
Wnom lie represents. The Traffic
equalization League is all incorporat-
ed organization whose membership
represents the business and profess
sional men. the wholesalers and manu-
lecturers of interior points of Flor
lda' which points, Mr. Hoskins, rem.
resent the larger part of the popu.
Iation OF the state, and probably. Mr.
Hosklns, it may interest you to know
tnat this institution was born as a
result OF the recognition on the mart
OF the PEOPLE of the interior that thew
mad paid unfairly and unjustly thon.
sands upon thousands CT dollars trih.