Newspaper Page Text
PUBLISHED
MONDAY, WEDNESDAY
AND FRIDAY
Official t'rgan GCitv of Fitzgerald
A. 8.& A WILL CUT WAGES
Joint Committee Of Brotherhoods In Session
Here Today Awaits Word From National
Executive Officers—Cannot Take Action Gn
Cut Until Advice Is Received From National
- Headquarters Some Time Today.
e
ATLANTA, February 28.—Tudge Samuel H. Siblev today v thnar.
ized B. L. Bugg, receiver for the A. B. & A. railroad, to make a
reduction in wages of all employes equivalent to fifty per cent of
the increases received since December 1917. The reduction is
authorized togo into effect Tuesday March Ist, tomorrow.
The court order authorizing a reduction in wages followed the
order Friday placing the A. B. &A. railway in the hands of a
receiver, with B. L. Bugg, former president, as receiver. The receiv
ership was a result of a petition filed in United States Court by the
Birmingham Trust and Savings Company which holds a note against
the road for $90,000, due March 7th, which it alleges the road is
unable to pay. :
It is understood that the action was purposed to bring about a
“friendly receivership” in order to give the road an opportunity to
get on its feet. It has been losing $lOO,OOO per month, according to
the operators, exclusive of interest charges, since it passed from
government control.
Employes’ Representatives
Await Word From Nation
: al Officers ‘
\
No action can be taken by the joint
committee of the thirteen brother
hoods-effected by Judge Sibléy’s order
this morning authorizing a wage re
duction on the A. B. and A., until
word is received from the national ex-‘
ecutive officers.
Immediately on receipt of the newsi
of the court’s order from a Leader-‘
Enterprise reporter, the committee re
cessed to give the representatives ofi
the thirteen brotherhoods opportun-.
ity to get in touch with their national‘
executives. The committee will re
convene at 2 o’clock ‘
The joint committee was in session
here today condensing and strength-!
ening the case of the employes against
the wage reduction order that was ex
pected to follow the passage of the]
road into the hands of the receiver.
The members of the committee re-‘
ceived goolly as they had anticipated it.
The meeting here today, however,
had been called on Febuary 23rd two
days before the road went into the
hands of a receiver, for the purpose of
putting the employes case in shape
for an expected conference between |
the employes” and operators. The
Railway Labor Board had ordered
suclt conferences before it codld as
versy. "
sume jurisdiction of the wage contro-l
The reduction authorized by Judge'
Sibley this morning is the same as:
that asked by the railroad from thel
Railway Labor Board, fifty per cent
of all increases since December 1917.
The morning session of the com
mittee was largely devoted to a gen
eral discussion of the technical change
in the condition of the road and the
relations of operators and employes
brought about by the receivership.
The receivership order carried with
it a sweeping injunction against a
strike which is considered unusual.
They are, however, preparing their
case against wage reductions in or
der to protct the empleoyes should
they bhe called into caurt. “We are
confident that the court which has |
jurisdiction over the road’s affairs,
will be fair and will #ollow the estab
lished precedents,” said W. D. Car
gile of Manchester, chairman of the |
Firemen and Engineers, “and are as.
well satisfied to have it handled in the
Atlanta court as before the board in
Chicago.” »
“Our case will be based on the
same facts as before,” according to
J. P. Hogsed of Atlanta, Grand Vice
Chairman of the clerks and station
employes, “and we believe it will stand
up in any court of law.”
“We are not in position to make any
definite plans or any definite state
ment in regard to the employes’ atti
tude at present,” according to O. D.
Gorman, of Mauk, chairman of the
telegraphers.
The meeting will probably continue
all day today. W. M. Martin of Fitz-‘
gerald is chairman, C. L. Fox of Fitz
gerald, secretary and P. C. Collins,
acting secretary. At the meeting are
W. D. Cargile of Manchester for the
firemen and enginemen; E. J. Hun
ter of Manchester for the trainmen:
E. C. Hogan of Fitzgerald, eneral
chairman, and J. P. Hogs At
lanta Grand Vice Chairman) the
clerks and station employes; I. T.
Bass of Atlanta for the conductors:
Fred Shearer of Fitzgerald for the
train dispatchers; C. W. Cook of Fitz
gera'd for the railway emploves de
partment; N. E. Cafferty of Manches
ter for the machinists; W. S. Lonkert
of Fitzgerald for “the sheet metal
workers; J.-T. Hendricks of Fitzger
ald for the carmen; G. S. Garrett of
Fitzgerald for the electrical workers:
I. C.-Smith of Fitzgerald for the boil
er makers; M. D. Towns of Fitzger
ald for the blacksmiths; O, D. Gor
man of Mauk for the telegraphers: T.
O. Denham, general representative of
the maintenance of way employes and
shop laborers; W. M. Martin , of
Fitzgerald for the engineers,
THE LEADER=-ENTERPRISE
B. L. Bugg Issues State
ment In Regard To
Receivership
| ‘Col. B. L. Bugg, formerly president
}Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic Rail
' way Company. and who was Friday
appointed Receiver for that Company,
gave out the folowing statement:
#“The appointment of a Receiver for
the Atlanta, Birmingham & Atlantic
Railway Company is a logical result
of the condition in which the road
finds itself, due to the relation be
tween the present level of revenues
and the rates of wages hanging over
from the war period and the after
math,
“While the freight rates have been
advanced about 56 per cent and the
passenger rates about 44 per cent,
'the pay of the employees has been
more than doubled. In 1915 the to
’tal pay roll amounted to $1,347,873,
‘which was 47 per cent of the gross
‘earnings. In 1920 the pay roll
amounted to $4,203,998, which was
72 per cent of the gross earnings,
and more than three times the amount
of the total pay roll in 1915,
“Prior to January 1, 1918, when
the railroads were taken under Fed
eral control, the Atlanta, Birmingham
& Atlantic was earning a sufficient
amount to pay the interest on all of
its bonded indebtedness and a small
surplus besides. During the period
of Federal control and since. it has
been operating at a deficit, which
since September Ist has amounted to
approximately $lOO,OOO per month,
not including any interest. This con
dition on the Atlanta, Birmingham &
Atlantic is due principally to the fix
ing of wages and working conditions
the same on all railroads regardless
of their local conditions, the volume
of traffic or their ahility/to pay.
“The situation on the railroads of
the country as a whole is far from
satisfactory. In the month of Decem
ber 28 roads, comprising 34 per cent
of the total mileage, failed to earn
operating expenses by more than
$20,000,000.” -
ATLANTA, Georgia, February 28.
—Col. B. L. Bugg, formerly of the A.
B. and A. Railway Company who was
Friday appointed Receiver by order
of Hon. Samuel H. Sibley, Judge of
the United States District Court for
the Northern District of Georgia, is
sued the following statement:
The financial condition of the road
is due entirely to the extra-ordinary
increases in the cost of operation of
which much the largest item is the
wages. In the year 1920, the wages
were 72 per cent of all earnings.
These increases were in much greater
proportion than the increases in the
more than double, while the average
advance in freight and passenger rates
was about 50 per cent.
In order to satisfy ourselves of the
efficiency of the operation of the road
since return to private owrership, we
have made up some figures from of
ficial sources showing a comparison
of the operation of the A, B. and A.
with other roads in this territory.
‘These comparisons are very striking
and reflect great credit on the results
accomplished by the officers and em
ployes of the A. B. &A. Perhaps the
best-known index of operating effic-
FITZGERALD, BEN HILL COUNTY, GEORGIA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 28. 1921
FITZGERALD, BEN HILL COUNTY, GEORGiA, MO
EMPLOYES MAY STRIKE
—IS CURRENT RUMOR
Following the news of the au
thorized wage reduction, a rumor
gained currency here that the A.
B. & A. employes were prepared
to go on strike at a moment’s no
tice from national headquarters.
It was rumored that a strike ballot
had been carried soon after the op
erators first proposed eir wage
reduction. The court fier order
ing the receivership enjoined the
men from striking but it is held in
some quarters that such a ruling is
unconstitutional.
°
Mrs. Watkins Gored
‘ By Enraged Bull
| SRR
Prominent Young Matron Sustains
Serious Injuries Last Friday
Mrs. W. R. Watkins was danger
ously injured Ilate Friday evening
when she was attacked and painfully
gored by an irate bull. She escaped}
death by fleeing over a fence before
the bull had an opportunity to make
a second charge and, while ther injur
ies are serious, she is expected to re
cover. l
The buli had been raised as a pet .
by the Watkins family and had never
before shown ill temper. It was con
fined to the same pasture with the
milch cows and Mrs. Watkins was at
tacked as she was going to milk them.
Mrs. Watkins is a daughter of Mr. !
A. S. Dorminey, former representative{
to the state Legislature from Ben Hill
county, and a sister of J. D. Dormi-i
ney, cashier of the Exchange National |
Bank. |
iency and good service is the average
distance which a freight car moves a
day. The A. B. and A. has made a
enviable record in this respect. For
example, in last November the aver
age -miles made per day for each
freight car on its rails was 35.2. Note
the comparison with other roads and
all of these figures are for the most
part rreditable to the roads named:
A.and W. P, 27.7 imles per day; Cen
tral, 29.8; Georgia Railroad, 23.8; G.
S. and F., 21; N. C. and St. L., 30.6;
W. of A, 278. Our figures for Sep
tember and October show substantial
ly similar comparison.
The average loading of freight cars
is another index watched closely.
The comparison for November shows
that the average loading of freight on
the A. B. & A. was 24.3 ton per car;
A. & W. P, 22.5; Georgia Railroad,
234; G. S. & F. 269;N.C. &St. L
24 W, of As 234,
In order to make one index fig
ure which is perhaps the most accurate
in estimating efficiency in handling
freight, the rapidity of the average car
movement and the average loading
per car are combined to show “ton
miles per day per car.” This is ar
rived at by multiplying the average
tonnage loaded per car by the av
erage miles per car moved per day.
whici produces the following result
in November: A. B. and A., 568 ton
miles per car per day; A. and W. P.
483; Central, 535; G. S. and F. 323; N.
C. and St L., 478; W. ofA. 447. The
comparison in October and September
was likewise most favorable to the A.
B. and A.
Another test of operating effic
iency is the average number of tons
per freight train operated. In October
tons per train on the A. B. and A, were
492; A. and W. P., 479; Central, 504;
Georgiz, 411; G. S. and F., 580; N. C.
and St. L. 389; W. of A., 498. These
figures are representative of other
months.
Another test of operating efficiency
is how small is the ratio of transpor
tation expense, that is train service ex
pense, to the total operating cost.
Taking October as a representative
month, the percentage of tht A. B. and
A. was 44 1-2 per cent; C. of Ga., 53;
Georgia Railroad, 61; G. S. and F. 55;
N. C. and St. L. 49 per rent. We did
not have figures for other roads, but
the figures given are representative.
The efficiency of track maintenance
may be measured by the average ex
pense per mile per month. and I think
it would be interesting to make the
comparison not only for recent months
but for an average of the three-year
pre-war period ending June 30th; 1917,
The average cost of track mainten
ance per mile per month in September,
October and November, 1920, on the
A. B. and A. was $208.00-pre-war
average $62.07; G. S. and F., $276.22-
pre-war average $63.99; Central, $l9B.
78; pre-war average $78.65; Georgia
Railroad, $311.07 pre-war average $75.
59; A. and W. P.5429.60-pre-war
average $147.60; N. C. and St. L,
$395.00; pre-war average $143.39.
lAshton Meeting Votes Appoint-
I ment Of Committees
| EFFECTIVE SEPTEMBER
|Committees From Five Schools
l Will Arrange Details .
{ Plans for the consolidation of Hort
{ on, Eureka, Dorminey, and Evergreen
é Schools in the Eastern Half of Ben Hill
'Couuty, with the Ashton School were
| heartily endorsed by patrons of the
|fivc schools affected at a massmeeting
at Ashton Friday afternoon.
The mass meeting voted to author
ize the board of education to appoint
a committee from each of the five
schools to arrange it so that the pupils
of all five schools could begin attend
ing the Ashton school at the openingi
of the. 1921-22 term next Septembcr.l
The personnel of the five committees
'has not been announced by the board
of education yet but will be published
in the Leader-Enterprise when the
committees are selected.
All five committees will meet to
gether nert month to discuss the de
tails of the consolidation plan and to
‘prepare to take all steps necessary to
merge the five schools into one
big school that will be as good as any
big city institution.
By merging the four small schools
with Ashton, the county will be eligi
ble to receive $1,500 per year from the
State which it has not been receiving
and will also be eligible to receive be
tween $1,500 and $2,000 from the Uni
ted States government to apply on the
salary of an exprt to teach practicall
agriculture. The County will save thcl
cost of keeping up the four separate
school plants which are to be abolish
ed. The four teachers who formerly
taught the small schools will be trans
ferred to the Ashton school, increas
ing the staff there to nine.
The additional cost to the county ofl
getting a Class A school will be for
three motor trucks to transport the
children in outlying districts to and
from Ashton school.
Those who spoke at the meeting
Friday were Aldine Pound, state high
school supervisor; J. E. Turner, treas
urer of the Farm Bureau Federation;
Isidor Gelders, editor of the Lcader-
Enterprise; Wesley R. Walker. for
mer representative and chairman of
the Ashton Farm Bureau; Judge J. R.
Horton, ordinary; R. R. Dorminey,
chairman of the Dickson’s’ Mill Farm
Bureau; Wiley McMillan and B. &l
Dorminey.
*
Fair Store Gets
°
y Bankrupt Bargain
Entire Stock of Kinard & Co. of
Newbern Bought by Kruger
The entire stock of dry goods,
shoes, notions, and fixtures of W. C.
Kinard and Co., of Newbern, Ga., was
purchased last week by Abe Krugery
proprietor of the Fair Store, at bank
rupt sale and will be placed on sale
here soon at unusually low prices, Mr.
Kruger stated today. The purchase
made through the receiver appointed
for the concern by the United States
court, &
FITZGERALD ATHLETES
TO PLAY MOULTRIE
The Fitzgerald Athletic Association
will send its basketbal] team to Moul
trie Wednesday evening to play the‘
Moultrie Athletic Association quintet.
The Fitzgerald line-up will be: Need
ham Warren, center; Arthur Justice
and Robert Frazer, guards; Elmer
Waits and P. C. Collins, forwards;
Ivey Murray, substitute. All the!
players are formec high school stars.
°
Low Rail Rates For
Sunday School Meet
Low rai'road rates have been gran
ted for the State Sunday School Con
vention, which will be held in Macon,
April 19, 20, and 21st, according to in
formation received from the State
Sunday School Association head
quarters in Atlanta. Yt is expected
that every section in Georgia will be
represented at the convention, hringingi
together the largest gathering of Sun~‘
day School workers in the State during
the year.
R. D. Webb, General Superenten
dent of the Georgla Sunday School
Association, was in Macon to-day to
confer with the leaders here, making
final arrangements tor the convention,
He stated that the oat-of-state speak
ers secured for the Convention will
bring. the best in Sunday School work
GOING TO REDUCE IT |
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R, S b AT i
Bazaar Store Moves
° °®
, Into New Building
Home Furniture Company Plans to
Move About March 15th, Maffett
The new Bowen Block on the cor
ner of Central and Main streets was
occupied Friday by the first of the
four concerns who are to make their
homes there. The Bazaar Store, of
which R. I. Maffett, J. C. Holdef and
Mark Mathis are owners and propri
etors, started moving its stock of
goods and fixtures Friday and this
morning had been completely trans
ferred from the old Grant Street lo
cation to the new Central Avenue
home. ,
The Bazaar's new home is six feet
wider and thirty feet longer than the
old place. It has two of the largest
show windows in town, which will be
kept in metropolitan appearance by
Mr. Holder. The big room is well
lighted and ventilated and makes ‘a
very attractive appearance.
The second floor of the building
over the Bazaar Store will be used as
a stock room for the present. The
management plans to open a millinery‘
and ladies’ ready-to-wear department
there some time this year, probably
not before Fall.
Mr. R. I. Maffett, manager of the
Home Furniture Compny, stated that
his new quarters would probably be
ready for occupancy about March 15,
When the Home Furniture Company
moves out of its Grant street store,
the Bradshaw Music Company will
move there, vacating the two Pine
street, fronts and the store room in
the old Post Office building.
Curb Market Opens
Here Saturday
When? Saturday, March sth, from
9 to 11 a. m. Same hours Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday of each week
thereafter. (Hours subject to change).
Where? Opposite postoffice on
Central Avenue, and Lee street be
tween Central Avenue and Ocmulgee
Street, at the “Curb Market” sign.
What? Any produce, vegetables,
fruits, chickens, eggs, butter, milk,
meats, fresh fish, canned or bottled
syrup, home canned fruits and vege
tables. Orders taken for cakes, rolls,
plants, feed, wood, etc.
Why? To reduce the high cost of
living, and to enable the farmer to
get what his produce 1s worth by sell
ing direct to consumer, saving time
by disposing of it at a designated
point instead of going from house to
house. For illustraticn, a farmer says
he brings a certain product to town
and goes to six houses, becomes dis
couraged and takes it back home; the
seventh house was in need of it, hut
how could he know?
Aim? A permanent market place
for Ben Hill County. This offers a
splendid opportunity to merchants
for a wide choice of home-grown sup
plies for his .customers who cannot
reach this market.
Come to the opening Saturday
morning and see it started off. ‘
Mr. E. H. Edwards has returned
from a business trip to Ambrose.
secured. Then the program will be
further -strengthened by the large
number of Sunday School workers in
Georgia who will have prominent
. ¢
Painfully Hurt In
° o
Saving Baby’s Life
Earl Chaple Kicked by Mule under
Whose Feet Baby Crawled
Earl Chaple, night baggage master
at the A. B. & A. passenger station,
was painfully injured Sunday when he
was kicked under the right eye by a
mule under whose feet two—ycar-olg
Heath Chaple had crawled. Mr.
Chaple’s injuries are painful but not
serious and his sight will not be im
paired.
Baby Heath had been playing with
his father in the lot in which the mule
was confined and when his fathcr's‘
attention was distracted for a few
moments, crawled under the mule
which started lashing out at random
with its hoofs. Mr. Chaple dived into
the mule's legs and pulled the baby
who was miraculously unhurt, to safe
ty, catching one of the kicks under his
right eye.
;
Goldberg Buys -
‘ Cobb Grocery
Harrry Goldberg, formerly with
Moore Brothers, has purchased the
stock of merchandise formerly owned |
by the Cobb Grocery from the Con
solidated Grocery Co. and will shortly'
open, a first class retail Grocery. |
Mr. Goldberg has been a resident of‘
Fitzgerald a number of years and has
a large acquaintance among the tradei
of the county. The new owner will
remodel the entire store and will carry
a first class line of standard groceries
and food products. |
AMERICAN LEGION
MEETS TOMORROW
The Mars-McDonald Post of the
American Legion will hold its reg
ular March meeting at the Chamber
of Commerce rooms at 8 ®clock
Tuesday, tomorrow evening. The
standing committees for 1921 will be
appointed by Commander Cleon
Howell and membership cards issued
to members in good standing, Mem
bers must pay their dues at this meet
ing if they wish to cint'nue to reieive
the American Legion weekly.,
.
Crisp Informs 5. A.R.
\
Ct Yam Plafit Award
Washington, D. C. Feb. 8, 1921.
Mr. P. R. Booker, Ch’'m. of
G. A. R. Committee, -
Fitzgerald, Ga.
My dear Messrs. Booker, McCormick
and Mosher, Committee:
I am writing to advise you that
the Department of Agriculture has
finally selected Fitzgerald for the.
unit to conduct the experimental
manufacture of syrup from sweet
potatoes.
I remember "the interest you and
the Grand Army Post at Fitzgerald
took in this matter, and the activity
of the post, in my judgment, had a
lot fo do with the unit’s being estab
lished at Fitzgerald, .
As you know, I secured the appro
priation for this experiment, and, nat
urally, T am delighted it is to be con
ducted in the splendid city of Fitz
gerald in my district. e
With' best w‘xsi‘l‘es,‘ I am, o
FITZGERALD COTTON
Good Middling -mmmmemeo--10%4c
No Receipts No Sales
VOL. XXVI NO. 25
Five Nominated on First Ballot
: at Friday Caucus
i LEAGUE TO ME iT SUNDAY
Public Invited to Attend Meeting
of Ratification
J. E. Turner, Burr Stokee, Dr. E. J.
Dorminey, F. R. Justice and J. B.
Davenport were nominated as candi
dates for city council of the Ben Hill
Civic League on the first ballot at the
caucus Friday night. N. N. Little
field had been named for mayor at the
Tuesday meeting. The nominations
will be ratified at a meeting of the
League at the First Baptist Church
Sunday, March 6th, to which the public
at large is cordially invited. The can
tldates will make formal announce
ment after the nominations have been
ratified. ;
At the caucus Friday were thirty
five members of the officials boards
of the local protestant churches.
The difference between that and the
attendence of fifty-three at the Tues
day meeting is understood to be par
tially accounted for by the absence of
fourteen supporters of Drew W. Paulk
for mayor who withdrew from the cau
cus in order not to be found in any
way by its action. Mr. Paulk received
nine votes on the final ballot that elec
ted Mr. Littlefield and five of Mr.
Paulk’s supporters did not vote on
that ballot.
Following their nominations, J.. E.
Turner, F. R. Justice and J. B. Daven
port accepted the honor in a few re
marks. “I_want to help make Fitz
gerald a better place in which to raise
my children,” deciared Mr. Davenport
in accepting. “I have lived with you
for eighteen years,” said Mr. Justice,
' “and you know where I have always
stcod, not only for a bigger Fitzgerald
but a better Fitzgerald.”
Mr. Turner had refused the nomi
nation which was tendered on the first
ballot at the Tuesday caucus but stat
ed before the first ballot Egiday that
he had reconsidered. and would accept
{‘if named again. He and Mr. Stokee
Treceived the full vote of thirty-five,
| Pastors to Swap Pulpits
In furthering the Civic League’s
Campaign to elect its nominees it is
planned to organize a Ben Hill branch
of the Woman Voters® League and to
marshall the full feminine vote on elec
tion day. It is also planned for the
pastors to adopt a rotary plan in_the
churches of the city during the last
few weeks of the campaign. Each
pastor who enlists in the rotary plan
will prepare one strong sermon on
civic righteousness which he will de
liver first from his own pulpit and on
succeeding Sundays from the pulpits
of other churches. Not all pastors have
declared their willingness to place
their churches so actively in politics.
-
Pastors Of City
Approve Y. M. R. C.
Rev. James H. Elder Preaches Ser
mon on Needs of Young Men
The cooperation of the ministry of
the city was accorded yesterday to
the board of managers of the Young
Men’s Recreation Center in their ef
fort to establish here an organization
similar to the Y. M. C. A. Several of
the pastors urged attendance of the
men of their congregation at the
Thir Annual Community Father and
Son Banquet, which is to be held
Friday evening at the Odd Fellows
Hall under the auspices of the Y. M.
R. C, and Rev. James H. Elder of the
First Methodist church preached a
strong sermon Sunday evening on
the needs of the young men of the
city.
The program for the banquet has
been prepared by the board of mana
gers under the guidance of President
A. G. Brown and will be published
in full in Wednesday's edition. D, B.
Nicholson is toastmaster, H. E. Mon
tague of Atlanta, state secretary of
boy’s work for the Y. M. C. A, is the
principal speaker. The musical feat
ure of the program is exceptionally
strong. The Fitzgerald Concert Band
will play three selections. G. Sam
Willcox, formerly in vaudeville, will
sing. The Fitzgerald Male Quartet,
composed of Sam Kassewitz, Charles
Garwood, Frank James and Will
Mashburn, which is said to be the
best quartet of its kind in Georgia,
will sing.
The ladies of the Community Ser
vice council have in charge the sale of
te three hundred tickets, to which the
banquet has been limited. The ladies
of the Rebekah lodge will prepare and
serve the banquet.
Tickets are on sale at the National
Drug Company. :
FIREMEN TO REBUILD
'KIDDIES’ PLAYGROU]‘%\;
A 2
Chief W. C. Wilkerson of the Fitz
‘werald Fire .Department announced
today that the firemen would repair
the children's playground in the city -
hall park this week and put it in
dition for use by Thursday or Friday.
The equipment will be repainted and