Americus times-recorder. (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, April 16, 1920, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextASSOCIATED PRESS NEWS OF THE WORLD > FORTY-SECOND YEAR —NO. 93. U. S. Action Blow To Railroad Strike WEREHGHTING BIG FOUR CHIEFS STATES GRUNAU ‘Rebel’ Labor Leader De nies He Is Opposing Roads BY EDWARD M. THIERRY, N. E. A. Staff Correspondent. CHICAGO, April 16.—John Gru nau, who leaped over-nignt from ob scurity to leadership of a county wide railroad strike, from a switch ing job to president of the Yardman’s Association, says: “The rail men who walked out are not fighting the railroads. They are fighting the ‘Big Four’ union broth erhoods. “Railroad brotherhoods are abso lute monarchies. Grand Chief Stone, President Lee and the others are au tocrats. ( “Brotherhoods are bleeding the na tion’s union railroad men to make soft, well-paying jobs for officials. “Switchmen walked out because they no longer have representation in tha ; r own brotherhoods. They pay for representation and they don’t get it. “Brotherhood officals play the rail road's game." Granau is little and stocky, with gray-white hair. He has a soft voice end a quiet manner. “We have organized a poor man’s union,” he said. “We are fighting to get union affairs back into the hands of the working men them solves “Vast funds and high-paid jobs aren’t necessary. “Why should railroad workers pay as high as $5.75 a month into broth erhood treasuries? The Yardmen’s association has a sane initiation fee of $2 and monthly dues of 50 cents a month. That is ample. “1 didn’t order the men to strike. This is not a strike. It is an individual walk-out. If the brotherhoods and the railroads com bine against (us and we cannot get a fair settlement with recognition of our aim of labor representation by labor men, our members will go to work in other lines that pay a living wage.’ . Granau says the “autocracy of brotherhoods’’ wil be broken until something similar to Section 10 of the Yardmen’s association constitu tion is adopted. Here is Section 10: “All Grand Lodge and local officers will be elected by the referendum and- subject to the recall.’’ Grunau denies a personal griev ance of his started the “rebel’ strike. He has had no conferences with railroad managers. He says they want to deal with the Yardmen s as sociation but are afraid of brother hood wrath. “CRUSH BROTHERHOODS! ” AIM IN NEW YORK NEW YORK, April E. Reading, leader of the “rebel’ rail-* strike here, says: “Our aim is to crush the Big Four Brotherhoods and democratize industry. In order to get a just wage increase it is neces sary to get proper representation. The men walked out in protest against the autocracy of the brother hood leaders who refused to repre sent the rights and requests of the men.” CERffiYTOGET ALUEDWARNJMG Must Disarm And De mobilize At Once Un der Treaty Terms PARIS, April 16.—Representatives of Great Britain, France, Belgium and Italy in Berlin will join in a warning to be given’ Germany im mediately that she must execute the disarmament and demobilization pro visions of the peace treaty without delay, according to the present plan. It is understood that the Allied charges also will say to the German government, in case prevailing insur rectionary movements in Germany are not suppressed quickly, the Al lies may refuse to permit further deliveries of foodstuffs. The city clerk was ordered by city council last night to notify the Central and Seaboard railroads that their crossings on Spring street are in bad condition and should be re paired. *■ Forecast For Georgia.—Showers and thunderstorms probably tonight and Saturday; somewhat warmer in the interior tonight. THE TIMEsBRECbRDER PUBLISHED i.N THE HEARTOF TONIGHT AT THE CHAUTAUQUA TONIGHT, 7:30 O’CLOCK. > ! Concert —Sibly Sammis Singers < 1 and Miss Mary Cameron, Pianist. ? Lecture—“ Facing The Task”— S ! Dr. H. E. Rompell. Admission 50c ? and 5c tax. Children 27c and 3c > SATURDAY, 3 P. M. ! Concert —Emerson Williams Co. j ; Monologue—To Be Announced ! —Mr. V. S. Watkins. Admission J 50c and 5c tax. Children 27c and ! 3c tax SATURDAY 7:30 P. M. Concert—Emerson Williams Co. ! Lecture —“How To Be Young at 1 ' Seventy or Old at Forty”—Dr. 1; / Carolyn E. Geisel. Admission 50c : and 5c tax. Children 27c and 3c ![ ! tax. / CHAUTAUQUA TO OPEN IN SCHOOL Tent Delayed and Rain Upsets Plans —Ticket Announcement The winner of the ticket selling contest, as announced today by Mrs. Fred B. Arthur, treasurer of the ladies edmmittee, was Mrs. E. J. Sheehan, with sales amounting to $141.84. Owing to the late arrival yester day of part of the tent equipment for the Chautauqua it was impossible to put up the big canvas yesterday, resulting in a muddy ground today that made it inadvisable to hold the first sessions of the program, this af ternoon and tonight, on the grounds. As a result, arrangements were made this morning for use of the high school auditorium, and the opening number this afternoon at 3 o'clock was heard there, and tonight’s pro gram at 7:30 will also be given there. It was stated by the management that the ground was being rolled this afternoon and it was believed everything would be in readiness for the use of the tent for Saturday’s program. It was also announced today that the time in which the ladies were permitted to sell season tickets had been extended for one day, or till Saturday, giving them opportunity to share in the proceeds. The price of the season tickets until then will be $3.03. After that time the ticket will be sold only by the chautauqua management and the price will be $3.30. Trade Commission After Atlanta Firms WASHINGTON, April 16.—Two trade organizations and fifteen con cerns in Atlanta dealing in groceries and food products in wholesale quan tities have been cited by the Federal Trade Commission in formal com plaints of unfair competition, it was announced today. The commission alleges a confed eration of respondents to prevent competitors from obtaining necessary supplies from manufacturers and oth ers and charges that by boycott threats manufacturers have been in duced to refuse to sell to competitors, under penalty of losing their busi ness. Strike Keeps Palmer Away From Georgia WASHINGTON, April 16.—The railroad strike situation forced At torney General Palmer to decide def initely that he could not return to Georgia before the Democratic pri maries there next Tuesday. The at torney general has sent a telegram to the effect to Hon. Pleasant A. Sto vall, Savannah, chairman of the Palmer state primary committee. 2 Killed in Alabama Wreck On L. & N. BAY MtNETTE, Ala., April 16. Fast passenger trains Numbers 3 and 2 of the the Louisville and Nashville railroad, running between Cincinnati and New Orleans, were wrecked in a head-on collision near here this morning. Engineer Spruell and Ex press messenger Culver, both of Montgomery,.and a negro porter were killed, and several passengers in jured. Fitzgerald Is Given 6 8 7 0 Population WASHINGTON, April 16.—Popu lation statistics announced today by the census bureau included Fitzger ald, Ga., which has a population of 6,870, an increase of 1,075 or 18.6 per cent, since the last sensus. M. A. Edwards, of F O it Valley, ar rived this afternoon for a visit of several days with his -■•on, N. H. Ed wards, of the Edwards Music Com pany. AMERICUS, GEORGIA, FRIDAY AFTERNOON, APRIL 16, 1920. DISINTEGRATION OF REBEL UNION STRIKE LIKELY Men Ordered To Return Tomorrow or Lose Places WASHINGTON, April 16.—Direct government intervention in the rail road strike situation took shape to day with the initial meeting of the Railroad Labor board, which was re cently created by the transportation act, to deal with all railroad labor i disputes. The railroad labor board perfect ed temporary organization at its ini tial meeting electing Henry Hunt, i former mayor of Cincinnati, as chair man, and G. W. Hanger, secretary. I Both are members of the public group. The wage dispute, as it stood with the breaking up of the bi-par | tisan wage conference here several weeks ago, was submitted to the ■ board, Secretary Hangar announced. WASHINGTON, April 16. Em ployes of Potomac Yards here, known as the “freight gateway to known as the “freight gateway to | the south,” who went on strike yes terday afternoon, returned to work today after a conference with rail road union leaders. 25 INSURGENT STRIKERS ARRESTER AT CHICAGO. CHICAGO, April 15.—The speedy disintegration of unauthorized rail road strikes in the Central and far Western states, was forecast today with a serious blow struck by the gov | ernment at the insurgents’ stronghold in Chicago, twenty-five strike leaders being arrested. In addition to these arrests warnings were issued in all I of the principal strike centers that unless the men now on strike return to work by tomorrow their places will Ibe declared vacant and new men employed. FLORIDA EAST COAST SWITCHMEN WALKOUT. JACKSONVILLE, April 16.—The i switchmen of the entire Florida East I Coast system walked out today. GASSERVICEIS | SCORED BY CITY Company’s Rate Increase Application Heard At Atlanta The service which is being given to the consumers of electricity and gas in Americus was attacked by the city as one of its chief weapons of de fense in combatting the application | of the Americus Lighting Company ' for increases in rates, which was ! heard by the state railroad commis ' sion in Atlanta yesterday. The hearing required about two hours, as ! ter which the application of the com pany was taken under advisement by i the board, decision to be announced ■ later. It was the opinion of some of < those interested in the hearing that the commission probably would grant a part of the increase applied for, but in so doing require a higher! j standard of service for the consum-t ers of Americus. Only three witnesses were heard, ■ they being J. E. Johnson, manager ■ of the Americus plant, and H. P. Luj ' cas, of Baltimore, an official of the/ : corporation which owns the local concern, for the applicants, and John B. Ansley, former city superinten i dent, for the city. Prince Webster, rate expert of Atlanta, who is asso ciated with W. A. Dodson as attorney for the company, conducted the ex amination for the applicants, while j City Attorney Lane represented the city. Mr. Lane devoted most of his attention to cross-examination of the company’s witnesses. The company submitted detailed reports of costs I of production, and Mr. Lane submit- ■ ted numerous affidavits telling of poor quality of gas, excessive air in the gas, odorous gas, irregularity of lighting service, dilapidation of elec tric lines, which have resulted in fal len wires and houses being set afire from the high voltage, etc. The com pany defended the bad gas condition, blaming it on the coal shortage of last winter when gas coal cqjuld not be had and it being necessarv to use ■ coal with an excess of sulphur. The company opened its case by I Mr. Webster reading an editorial from the columns of the Times-Re corder of a few weeks ago suggesting that the lair thing should he done by the company, that an increase in rates should be granted if the facts warranted, but that the company should be made to make out its case. City Attorney Lane stated that this sentiment expressed the position of the city exactly, it being desired only ’ that fairness and justice be done all | round, this to include also justice to the consumer's. SLUSH FUNDS MEAN: i PROFITEERS TRYING TO CONTROL GOV’T. Senator Owen Tells Some More Interesting Details Os Causes of High Cost Os Living BY ROBERT L. OWEN, United States Senator From Oklahoma, Author of the Federal Reserve I Banking Act and President of the National Popular Government League. WASHINGTON, April 16.—The enormous sums of money now being and to be spent before the November election is over, have one irreat meaning. That is the determination of the great monop olies to expand their influences over both political parties, hence to control government and continue their reckless and unjustified profiteering. During the war the American people were probably plundered quite as much as the people of any other na tion. The taste for unusual profits has been whetted and some men desire to continue it unmindful of the want, misery and public danger they entail. Furthermore, the restrictions of the Sherman anti-trust law were virtually laid on the shelf by the government during the war. Unit ed effort was encouraged and now some of the great! commercial manufacturing and business concerns are now ; utilizing the lessons thus learned for their own advant age as against the interests of the people. We are warned, for example, by the clothing man- s V ufacturers that clothing prices are to go higher. . Simultaneously comes a statement from the National Wool Growers’ Assoc.ation that the cost to manufacturers of the wool in a $75 suit of clothes is $5.27. The Department of Justice is informed bv the m r from n sl2 * be ? A ” lalKamated Clothing Workers’ Union that the labo/cost consumer hadU ply° ther d&y t 0 ° Ut Wh ° gOt the ° ther * 55 which the NOT ONE OF THE GOVERNMENT BUREAUS IN WASRINCThN £XK H .n M . E k r H THE INFORMA ™N- Nor could private GOODS pages ‘ IHERE WAS NOT A WORD ON CLOTHES AND DRY WHO GETS MONEY YOU FORK OVER FOR CLOTHES? THIS SHOWS YOU. There is, however, a most interesting and reliable source of information regarding the profits made in this business in 1917. I refer to report made to the Senate m 1918 by the secretary of the treasury in response to a Sen ate resolution which reveals the actual profits of some 35,000 American cor porations in all lines of business as shown by their income and excess profits tax return The report is not complete. It is largely of small concerns. A great number of returns of the large cqrporations are incomplete or not given at all. Here are some figures, however, which give eloquent explanation to the reason why a pre-war $25 suit of clothes now sells at $75. .. Ab -.? a^e . are § i x wool and worsted manufacturing corpora- tions with a total capital stock in 1917 of $63,480,000. The total profits of lire S!X were $20,465,584 net after all federal taxes had been paid. One made 107 per cent. The average stood at 50 per cent. Passing to cotton goods, on which the great majority of our people de pend for clothmg, I find, for example, eight manufacturers of cotton sheet ing listed. Total capital stock, $22,959,100; total profits, $6,829,311 net, after deducting all federal taxes. One of these made 131 per cent, five ever 59 per cent. In another section I find six garment manufacturers. The total cani qq $3’908,600. They cleaned up, after federal taxes were paid, j w h°l esa l er s, jobbers and brokers we find them making from 10 to 600 per cent profits on their investment after federal taxes have been paid. In another section are listed 2054 retail traders in clothing and dry goods. Out of some 300 department stores 26 earned more than 100 per cent on their capital stock, ONE GOING AS HIGH AS 757 PER CENT. If the entire 2000 were made into one great corporation it would have cleared over 25 per cent net on its actual invested capital above and beyond all tuxes. , . , To m , ake this concrete here is a store with $103,047 invested capital which made a net profit of $29,655 above its taxes and expenses. PROFITEERS ARE DETERMINED TO KEEP PRICES AT ROBBERS’ LEVEL. This is but a hint of what this fascinating and highly significant treas ury report contains. There is no use writing for it. Only two copies were originally printed for each senator. Senate committee data not published shows that in 39 average Ameri can cities gingham dress goods was selling in May 1915, at an average of 12 cents per yard retail. In May, 1919, it had gone to 32 cents. Everyone knows the prices in dry goods and clothing have been going higher and are likely to go higher still. We have no treasury reports which give absolute information for last year, but from other sources'we may get some light as to profiteering. A financial journal recently printed a table showing that 38 cotton manufacturing companies of Fall River, Mass., made an average profit of 7 per cent for the first quarter of 1920. The greatest profit these same mills ever had in pre-war days was an average of 11 per cent for the whole year of 1917. If you had invested SIOO in the stocks of Southern Cotton Mills a few years ago you could sell that stock today at anywhere from S3OO to SSOO. No wonder we find a trade journal article headed: “Fabu lous wealth in southern cotton mill stocks.” The answer then to the question as to why dry goods and clothes are high is that between the wool and cotton growers on one hand, and the man or woman at the counter of the retail store on the other hand, there are not only legitimate manufacturers and retailers making abnormal profits but a horde of jobbers, brokers and middlemen also making abnormal profits. From beginning to end nearly every process is highly organized and deftrmined upon maintaining high price level. It is time to test out which is the stronger, organized greed bent upon commercial pilfering and deter mined to use the powers of government for its selfish ends, or the intelli gence and spirit of the American people determined upon justice and fair play- DEATHCOMESTO THEODORE VAIL Aged Head of ’Phone And Telegraph Sys tems Succumbs NEW YORK, April 16.—Theodore N. Vail, chairman of the board of the American Telephone and Telegraph ; Company, died at John Hopkins Hos- ! pital in Baltimore this morning, ac- ; cording to word received here. In the polar regions the sea con tains less salt than at the equator. I KIWANIANS DIG INTO OLD H.C.L Tell What To Do To Lower And Raise Prices Some interesting sidelights on the high cost of living were developed at \ today’s weekly luncheon of the Amer i icus Kiwanis Club when each mem ber present was asked to answer at : roll call alternatingly, giving his ■ views on how to lower or increase the high cost of living: The replies NEARBY NEWS COVERED BY OWN WRITERS PRICE FIVE CENTS. COMMITTEEMEN TO PLAN PRIMARY IN EACH DISTRICT sl2 Allotted By State Committee For Dis trict Expense The members of the county Demo cratic executive committee .will have charge of the presidential preference primary in their respective districts in the matter of seeing that the polls are opened and closed at the pre scribed time next Tuesday and that managers are duly appointed, ac cording to action of the committee at its meeting yesterday, details of which were announced today. It also became known, in connec tion with arrangements for the pri mary, that the state executive com mittee has allotted sl2 for primary ! expense for each voting district in . the state, and that this money will e available in Sumter county to as sist in defraying the expenses of the election. This money, it is said, was contributed by the backers of the candidates in the primary, E. Mitchell Palmer. Hoke Smith and Ihomas E. Watson. The following statement on the ac tion of the executive committee’s meeting yesterday was mailed today to each member of the committee by James A. Davenport, chairman of the county committee: ‘<‘& ne J‘ icus ’ Ga - A P ril 15th, 1920 Meeting of the Democratic Exec utive Committee of Sumter ffcunty was called to order by Chfirman , A. Davenport. Members present: [ J -. c - Carter, T. J. Hardin, J. T. Meth ! w n ’r?’ C’ . E. Timmerman, A. ! W. Buchanan, J. A. Fort, J. A. Dav : enport, F. B. Arthur. “Object of the meeting was to ar- I Ik ng o e «!u r t he . Preferential primary on the 20th of April, 1920. Resolutions I were adopted that members from the ■ Executive Committee cf each district I in the county shall see that their re- spective districts open polls and that managers are duly appointed to hold : said primary on Aprif2oth, beginning in all the districts in the county, ex cept the 2/th, at 8 a. m. and close at “P; m ’ I* l the 27th (Americus), they will open at 7 a. m. and colse at 6 P- m. That each candidate shall be ' represented as to managers and I clerks equally if possible, and that i none except while qualified Demo -1 crats shall be allowed to vote in said I primary. i “In all the county districts, three managers shall have charge of the polls, one of these to be a justice of ' o4i_^ eac t’ except in Americus (the 2<th), who shall have as many as six i managers and clerks, one of these to be justice of the peace. i i The following have volunteered to . help hold the election: ■ “27th District. Stephen Pace, W. G ‘ Wi lliams, E. T. Mathis, i I. E. Castleberry. w 7 8t £iP is lv Ct: J' Methvin and W. L. Chambliss. 15th District: Floyd Jones ! “17th District: Arch Mcßee. i, Old 1 6th District: John Peel and I Prof. J. C. Price. “Volunteers will please confer with i members of their respective districts as early as possible, in order that ar rangements may be immediately per ! f° r L holding of the primary. This body is requested to meet again at 11:00 a. m., April 21, 1920 i at court house in Americus to con solidate the vote of the primary “J. A. DAVENPORT, “Chairman." were widely varied, and indicated that the problem had long been a vi ( : F ° n L "? th ever y member except nnfhl Math ' s .' who confessed he was unable to discuss the subject. W. M Jones seriously suggested that the wives of the members be put on art ra ra’ a 'i Ce ’7° be fixed in Proportion to the family income, and that living expenses be kept within that allow ance. Asa Pittman endorsed the suggestion, stating that this would certainly result in the members soon i Wlv , es >. which would un- i do “htedly result in lowering the I cost of living, SO far as the individu ial members were concerned. Eu gene Bailey, retail clothier, offered ra j v° n °f , awa y to increase he cost of living that every member' ouy two or three pairs of overalls, ! the P reser ?t prices, and wear . them a few times, then soon get tired go back to present practices. The most of the suggestions attacked lacK of production, over-buying and disregard of economies. •■/■A.-- • c i° se °f the meeting the Jb Kiwanians present contributed $1 each to a fund to purchase as many reason chautauqua tickets as possible trom the ladies committee, half of them to be turned over to the Sal vation Army and half to the Associat ed Chanties for distribution among needy and worthy poor who would i otherwise be unable to enjoy any of i the chautauqua advantages. King Alfonzo of Spain may com | pete in the rifle matches and also po 'lo games at the Antwerp Olympic i festival this summer.

Georgia Historic Newspapers

Americus times-recorder. (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, April 16, 1920, Image 1