Newspaper Page Text
THE WEATHER
Georgia and Florida—rair To
night and Tuesday Except Show
ers in Extreme North.
Official Organ City of Fitzgerald
A. 8.& A.R.R. VIOLATED LAW
Enie Railroad Had No Right To Decrease
Wages And Lengthen Hours, Says United
States Tribunal Today--Union Men Say
A. B. & A. Case Is Identical.
(By International News Service)
CHICAGO, March 7.—The Erie. Railroad violated the Cum
mins-Esch law, under which the railroads were retuined to private
ownership, when it announced a decrease in wages and an increase
in hours, the United States Railway Labor Board held in a decision
today.
Local officials of the striking A. B. & A: employes stated when
informed by the Leader of the Board’s action, that the A. B. & A.
«case was identical with the Erie case and that the positive rulings of
the Railway Labor Board entirely justifies the action of employes.
Martin and Fox Disclaim Official
Knowledge of Ballot
OTHER ROADS MEET
Unusual Quiet Marks Progress
of Strike in Fitzgerald J
Reports that a vote on a sympa
thetic strike was being taken by all
roads in the Southeast were discount
ed this morning by W. M. Martin,
chairman, and C. L. Fox, secretary,
of the Joint Federation Committee of '
the A, B. & A. crafts. “I have no offi
cial knowledge that such a vote is in
progress,” Mr. Martin stated today.
The belief is current in Atlanta and
Macon newspaper circles, however,
that such a vote is under way.
Mr. Martin yesterday afternoon ad
dressed at Americus a meeting of a
joint federation committee of the
crafts employed by the Seaboard Air
Line railway and Mr. For spoke
to a similar meeting of Atlantic Coast
Line Employes in Waycross. Mr.
Martin also conferred with representa
tives of the men employed by the
Seaboard and G. S.. F. at Cordele.
“I urged that our friends and sym
pathizers take no action in our behalf
that is not strictly within the law,”
said Mr, Martin. “The former em
ployes of the A. B. & A. are acting
strictly within the law and we want
our friends on other roads to take no
action that would prejudice us or
union labor as'a whole in the public
eye,”
It was understood here this morn
ing that pickets had ‘been posted
around the railroad shops, vards, and
other railroad property. The strikcrs!
have been given strict orders to stay
away from railroad property and to
stay off the streets as much as possi
ble. THhey are being held under the!
guidance of the older men in mass
‘meetings that consume most of the
day.
The first day of .at Atlanta Bir
mingham and Atlantic Railway strike
passed quitely. Three trains which
rolled into Fitzgerald on schedule
time after the hour set for the strike,
were left on the tracks in front of the
station by -their union crews and were
taken to the yards in the railway
shops by trainmaster Fred Astin.
The through passenger arriving
here at 4:20 Saturday from Atlanta
will probably be the last run over the
A. B. and A. tracks untill the strike is |
over. No arrangements were made
Saturday to send a train out of Fitz
gerald. ;
The mails are being brought into
Fitzgerald over the branch line of the
Seaboard from Abbeville. Outgoing
mails are being handled over the Sea
board to Abbeville and the Ocilla
Southern to Allapaha, where connec
tions are made with the Atlantic
Coast Line. The strike has vastly
slowed up express, mail and passenger
traffic here but will not entirely stop
it. Taxi fares had only doubled to
night for interurban trips,
About 1100 Out
No definite figures are available
here on the number of men affected
by the strike but it is estimated that
about eleven hundred walked out.
Normally about fifteen hundred men
are employed by the road but more
than' one-fourth of that number has
been laid off since October. About
eight hundred of those who walked,
out are employed on the division eastl
of Manchester and at railroad shops
here, a large proportion of them
living in Fitzgerald.
The last pay-day, March first,
brought about $35,000 into Fitzgerald
for the last two weeks in February,
under the old wage scale, or $70,000 a
month, While the railroad was oper
ating with full force the amount
paid through local banks was aboutl
THE LEADER-ENTERPRISE
rBUGG SEEKS STRIKE
Can Get No Firemen and Engin
eers He Tells I. N. S.
ONE TRAIN IS RUN
Millionaire Iron Master of B;r
-mingham at Throttle
(By International News Service) |
ATLANTA, March 7.—With thci
exception of one train from Birming-i
ham to Lineville, no trains are run
ning today on any part of the Atlanta
Birmingham and Atlantic System.
United States mediators arrived to
day from Washington and are arrang
ing meetings with rail officials and
representatives of the’workers,
The first train since the strike be
gan was taken out of Birmingham
this morning with “Rick” Woodward,
millioaaire iron manufacturer and old|
engineer, at the throttle. It ran toJ
Lineville,
Receiver B. L. Bugg said today that
plans are being made to ofierate
trains as fast as engineers and fire
men can be obtained. He stated that
plenty of conductors, brakemen andl
train crew men are available, |
one-third greater. Had the present
force continued at work under the new
wage scale the semi-monthly pay here
would have been about $55,000.
The strike will cause no actual suf
fering among the general public along
the line as every town is surrounded
by agricultural interests that can sup
ply all necessary food and fuel even
should a general strike be called and
all railroad communication severed.
Fitzgerald is espdcially well protected
as far as provisions are concerned.
A ¢urb market was opened here Sat-‘
urday morning at which twenty far
mers offered a variety of product
from peanuts to hogs for sale.
The attitude of the employes was
illustrated by a remark of one of the
oldest employes of the road at one
time an engineer but now a hostler.
“I have been paying $2.00 a month
Union dues ever since I was seven
teen years old against a time like this,”
he declared, “and now I mean to see
it through.”
The strikers contend that the Re
ceiver has ignored both the Transpor
tation Act and the Newlands Act of
1913. The joint federation committee
in its conference with Receiver Bugg
Tuesday asked strict observance of
the law in the wage controversy and
since that has not, in their opinion,‘
been made they could see nothing to
do but strike,
The Transportation Act, they hold,
sets up the Railway Labor Board as
the only legal tribunal having a right‘
to fix wages. Even should the United
States District Court take superior‘
jqrisdiction over the board, however,}
they assert that the Newlands Act ofi
1913 was violated when the Receiver‘
put a wage reduction into effect beforci
giving twenty days notice and givingi
the men an opportunity to submit evi
dence against the reduction in court
before the reduction was made, |
Receiver Bugg’s statement in con
ference Tuesday to the effect that,
as far as the Receiver is concerned,
there has been no negotiations over
wages, is offered by the men as proof
that the Newlands Act was disregar
ded as to its provisions for a twenty
day notice of wage reduction, as well
as its provision for a hearing from
both sides. |
BROTHERHOODS PESENT |
THEIR CASE TO BUGG
The committee of the fourtee:
crafts affected by Col. Bugg’s wage
reduction order subinitted, through!
Val Fitzpatrick, chairman] and J. B.
Hogsed, secretary , a brief of their
FITZGERALD, BEN HILL COUNTY, GEORGIA MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1921
A
ALLIESREADY TOINVADE GERMANY TUESDAY
FITZGERALD TO HAVE LOCAL
DAILY DURING A. 8.& A.STRIKE
- ON CONSOLIDATION
Joint Committee of Four Schools
l Meet at Evergreen
TWO STATE SPEAKERS
Patrons of Schools Asked to At
tend All Day Session
The joint committee of the patrons
of the five rural schools affected by
the proposed school consolidation
have, been called to meet at Evergreen
|school at nine o’clock Friday morn
ing, March 11, Superentendant J. H.
fßullard stated today.
’ The meeting had originally been
calied for March 18th but it develop
‘ed today that Miss Lane and
I. S. Smith, state school supervisors
would be here this week and the date
of the meeting was changed. :
All patrons of the Horton, Ever
green, Eureka, Dorminey and Ashton
schools are asked to attend the meet
ing, which will continue all day Friday
with dinner on the grounds, and ad
vise with the members of the commit
tee as to the best course .to be pur
sued. §
The consolidation plan involves the
abolishing the four small schools,
buying three passenger trucks to carry
the pupils to Ashton school, which
will be expanded to accomodate 350 or
400 pupils with a complete \teaching
staff,
The joint committee is as fllows:
Wesley R. Walker, W. H. Robitzc,
Roscoe Kimball; for Dorminey: B. H.
Dorminey, W. H. Hutcheson; for
Eureka: E." H. Dorminey, Zera Luke,
McDermitt; for Evergreen; A. W. Mc
Call, Norman Dorminey, Lee Fussell;
for Horton:: Wiley McMillan, W, M.
Hutcheson, A. L, Mobley.
Three Negro Houses
. s .
“Biirn Sunday Night
Three small negro dwelling houses
on the corner of Monitor and Roan
oke drives were totglly destroyed by
fire Sunday right when the roof of
one of the hiouvwes caught from sparks.
The firemen saved a fourth house
lwlvich was threatened, usinz a stream
’o,f chemicals.
~ The firemen were helpless to com
bat the flames as no fire plyg was lo
cated within a half mile of the scene
of the blaze. “An extension of the
water mains with fire plugs is badly
needed in the Southeastern section of
the city,” said Chief Wilkerson today,
“As the fire department is practically
helpless when a fire breaks out there.
“However, “remarked the chief, “I
don’t suppose there is much chance
of getting better fire protection if the
Tcity is going to have to put its money
into a school auditorium.”
The thrée houses were owned by
Dr. M. S, Cohen. They were insured
for $550, about one-half of the actual
value. Furniture in the houses, not
insured, brought the loss up to about
$1,500 in all. - -
case against the road’s wage reduc
tion at a conference March 4th, Fri
day. The brief specified wherein the
employes believed the receiver had
erred and delivered an ultimatum that
the men would walk out in fwenty
four hours unless the reduction order
was recalled.
The brief follows in part, ’
Pick up Brisf Lo 0 24
_Labor Board Resolutions
“In passing on this controversy the
labor board on January 27, 1921, passed
a resolution providing, “That no
change of any kind in the rates of pay
of this carrier should be made except
by agreement between the parties un
til the dispute is heard and opportun
ity given for the Board to decide.”
in defiance of this resolution as well as
the attitude of the employees you de
clined to enter into any negotiations
with a view to carry out the decision
of the Labor Board, and therefore,
as it was apparent that you were fully
determined to put into effect the re
ductjon as proposed, the general com
mittee had no alternatives but to sub
mit the matter in a statement to the
employees so that they might deter
mine whether they weurd continue in
the service of the railway in the event
you decline to recind or withdrav
vour order reducing wages,
The vote of the employees above
referred to was canvassed on January
(Continued on Page 2) 5
“Fitzgerald Daily Leader” Will
Give Telegraphic World
News trom I. N. S.
Carrier Boys Will Take Sub
scriptions at Twenty Cents
i Per Week in Advance
‘ The Leader Publishing Company
will issue a daily fiewspaper during
‘the period of the strike on the A. B.
& A. railroad. Arrangements were
‘made this morning with the Interna
tional News Service to send a daily
telegraphic report of all world news,
‘A part of the first day’s servige ap
pears in today’s issue of the Leader-
Enterprise.
The regular subscribers to the
Leader-Enterprise’ and Press will re
ceive their paper as usual on Monday,
‘Wednesday and Friday. The regu
lar paper will contain the telegraphic
news of the day of publication,
Subscribers to the Leader-Enter
prise will receive the Tuesday, Thurs
day and Saturday edition of this week
by paying the carrier boy or circula
tion manager ten cents. Those who
are not now subscribers get all six
papers for twenty cents a week.
Single copies will be sold for five
cents to help defray the cost of pub
lication. As the expense of the daily
will be heavier than can be defrayed
by the sale of papers, its columns will
be open to.advertising.
Auto Show Committee
- Motors To Atianta
Messrs. L. L. Griner, Hafry Vin
son, T. M. Walden, J. J. Dorminy and
M. W. Garbutt left this morning for
Atlanta via the Dixie Highway to
attend the Auto Show, being held
there this week.
~ Messrs. Griner, Vinson and Walden
constitute a committee of the local
Automobile Dealers’ Association to
secure cooperation for the Fitzgerald
‘Auto Show later in the season.
}PROMINE‘\IT CHURCHMEN
| MEETIN G HERE TODAY
Chairman R. V, Paulk of Ocilla is
meeting today with the Executive
Board of the Little River Association
in the city. In attendance at the
meeting are Secretary L. P. Gross of
Rochelle, J. R. Monroe of Abbeville,
W. A. Stone of Pitts, J. T. Tibbett of
Tibbettsville; T. A. Bussell, Mystic;
and G, A. Jolley, Fitzgerald.
PANAMA IS DETERMINED |
TO FIGHT COSTA RICA‘
BALBOA, March 7.—President
Porras, of Panama, announced today
that he will refer Secretary of State
Hughes note ;on the I’anama-Costa
Rica clash to the Panama N:\tionall
Assembly this afternoon and abide by
its decision. It is understood the as
sembly plans rejection of the Amer
ican offer of meditation.
Congress Spent
$3,806,029,647.00
(By International News Service)
WASHINGTON, March. +.—Total
appropriations in the present session
or congress for the fiscal year 192,
were $3.806,029,647 chairman War
ren of the senate appropriations com
mittee, announced in the senate today.
This represents a reduction of $1,453
485,926 from the estimates submitted
and a cut from appropriations for
1921 of $898,247,910, he said.
FORMER ASHBURN LADY , 1
EDITOR AT INAUGURATION‘
ATLANTA, March 7—Mrs. Nora
Lawerence Smith was a visitor to*At-i
lanta enroute from her winter visit at
Ashburn to her home in Cohoes, N. Y.?
stopping in Washington yesterday to
attend the innauguration. Prior to
her marriage in 1910 she edited tht
Wiregrass Farmer at Ashburn and
still shows her fondness for Georgia
and her paper, knowing the mechan
ical and business end of tht paper as!
well as the editorial,
Mrs. Smith is one of the pioncer
women “in Georgia journalism. She
spent three months of last summer in
Georgia editing the paper while her
father, Hon. Joe Lawrence, toured
Europe, and she was one of"& inter
'sting members at the Georgia Press
Association this summer at Carrolton,
»f which she had an active part in days
zone by.
!Twenty-six Farmers Serve More
| Than Three Hundred
TWO DAYS A WEEK
Sl s il
Wednesday and Saturday Fixed
As Days for Market
: ———
The Fitzgerald Curb Market opened
at nine o’ clock Saturday morning
with larger patronage and better suc
cess than even its most optomistic
advocates had anticipated. Between
9 and 11 o’clock twenty-six farmers
and farm-wives brought products for
sale and more than 30; Fitzgerald
people patronized the market. Every
wagon sold out before eleven o’clock
except one that was late in arriving.
’ The joint committee of the Women’s
Clubs and the Farm Burean Feder
ration, under whose auspice; the mar-‘
ket was opened, have tixad \\'edn(-sdayi
‘and Saturday mornings as the market
days. For the present the market will:
be open at 9 o’clock and close at 10
o’clock. Later on the hours will beB:
o'clock to 9 o’clock. ‘
Prices gtnerally were more “than
satisfactory both to farmers and con
sumer and the produce offered for
sale was of good quality and neatly
prepared.
Twenty-sir Farmers Attend
Among those who took advantage
of the Curb Market to dispose of pro
duce were: Mrs. J. A, George, Mr.
‘and Mrs. Tom Cunningham, Mr.
D. E. Dickson, T. V. Sword, A. C.
l]ustice, J. N. Swearington, Lucius
Britt, S. A. Wright, E. R, Stephenson,
G. W. Talbot, Mrs.. 7. Fitzgerald,
James B. Stewart, J. B, Wellons, H. J,
Chandler, Abbeville, R. F, D, Mrs. J.
B. Ballard, Mystic, Mr. J. A, Sutton,
Wray, and Mr. J. R. McCook, ‘
From the Farm Bureau: Mr. C.-T.[
Owens, Mrs. S. M, Whitchard, Mr., J.
E. Turntr, and Mr, A. J. Sword, were
on hand to lend all assistange possible,
and from the Woman’s élub: Mrs.
Lon Dickey, Mrs. C. D. Carroll, Mrs.
S. L. Smith, and Mrs. Harvey Mathis.
The town people are to be congrat
ulated on their promptness, as the lar
gest crowd of buyers was seen shortly
after nine o'clock. General satisfac
tion scemed apparent on both sides,
and the majority of truck growers
agretd to be on hand again promptly
at nine o’clock Wednesday and Satur
day morning of the i'()l]m\'ing week,
Promptness is Needed
Some of the truck growers who
kept “sun time” were late and missed
sale of considerable butter and chick
ens both of which were in large de
mand early. Promptness all around
will bring about the result desired,
that of the farmer disposing of his pro
duce in the shortest time possible so
as to return to his work.
Hens brought 75 cents, eggs from
22 1-2 to 30 cents, and carly straw
berries brought fancy prices. Mrs, J.
A. Georgie sold lye hominy rapidly at
20 cents a quart, and Mrs. D, E. Dick
son will take orders for fresh cream
at 55 cents a quart on Saturdays, i
Country cured hams, smoked sausage, |
and other good things were sold l)yI
Mr. R. L.Stone. Fresh aspagagus |
sold immediately, = I
Rev. R. G. Shannonhouse took oc
casion to express his pleasures at the
social side of the event, and a large
number of men took advantage of the
occasion to discuss politics,
i o A i i
VISITS HOME AND
FINDS IT IN RUINS
To pay a long postponed visit to
one’s home and find it only a pile of
smoking ashes when one arrives is
perhaps as painful an experience as
one can suffer, Such was the misfor
tune of young Cooper Branch of
this city when he went to his home in
Chula, Gal, Sunday for the first time
in four months,
The home of Mrs. Jane Branch,
Cooper’s grandmother, caught fire
about dinner time Friday from a de
fective flue. A brisk wind drove the
flames through the frame house at a
rapid rate, totally consuming it, all
the furniture and three nearby out
houses, No insurance was carried.
The loss is estimated under $5,000.
Mr. Branch had no intimation be
fore his arrival at the scene of the
fire that the conflagration had oc
curred.
Mrs. W. R. Phillips has returnel
home after a pleasant visit to relatives
in Rome.
French, Belgian And English Troops Prepare
To Advance Across Rhine Tuesday--The
German Foreign Minister Says He Will
Appeal To League Of Nations.
(By International News Service) ®
LONDON, March 7.—Allied troops will begin advancing into
Germany from the Rhine tomorrow to compel the Germans to
accept and execute the Allies’ indemnity demand. An official an
nouncement at 6:30 o’clock this evening states that orders have been
issued for troops to move Tuesday. The Allies “deeeply deplore
the situation in the interest of world peace,” Lloyd George declared.
The conference broke up shortly after six. :
FRENCH GENERAL GOES
TO FRONT LINES . |
PARIS, March 7—Following the meeting of the Supreme War
Council this afternoon, General Despute departed for Mayence, the
headquarters of the French Army of Occupation, tonight.
BELGIANS PREPARE TO
INVADE GERMANY S ‘
BRUSSELS—The Belgian heavy artillery moved up to the
Rhine today. It is believed Belgian troops will be moving Tuesday.
. .
Allies Reject German
.
~ Indemnity Proposals
Will Put Penalties in Effect at Once;
Foch Leaves for Rhine :
(By International News Service)
LONDON, March 7th.—The Ger
man indemnity conference ended in
a rupture and negotiations have been
discontinued according to official an
nouncement by Elr French delegates
this afternoon. zc French declared
the Germans had been notified that
their counter indemnity proposals
were unacceptable,
The Standard says Foch left for the
'Rhine today. His mission is proba
bly to occupy German territory. »
~ Late this afternoon Simons an
ounced that he was preparing another
statement to the allies. One of the
German delegates said the Germans
were likely to leave for Berlin tomor
row.
Lloyd George, English Premier,
annourced when the idemnity con
ference recovened late this afternoon
that the allies, being dissatisfied with
the counter proposals made so far by
the Germans, had decided to put the
penalties into effect immediately and
to compel German obediance to the
allied reparation decision®.
At three this afternoon the Inter
national News Service was officially
informed that the verdict of the allied
premiers upon the German proposals‘
was unqualified rejection.
The Central News this aftcrnoonl
quoted Simons, the German foreign
Drew Paulk Gets Civic League
Nomination For Mayor Of City
Littlefield Withdraws From Race“
In Interest Of Harmony
In Fitzgerald
New Aldermanic Ticket Is Turn
er, Dorminey, Thurmond,
Jay, and Cardwell.
Drew W. Paulk was formally nomi
nated for mayor of Fitzgerald to suc
ceed Mayor J. L. Pittman, by the Ben
Hill Civic League in .ession at the
First Baptist Church yesterday after
noon. A new ticket for City Council
was named and approved comprising
J. E. Turner, Dr, E. J. Dorminey, A.
H. Thurmond, Clayton Jay and I. A.
Cardwell
The action of league in discarding
the recommendations of tht nominat
ing caucus last month, which propos
ed N N. Littlefield for mayor, Turner,
Dorminey, J. B. Davenport, F. R. Jus
tice and Burr Stokoe for aldermen, fol
lowed a conferense between the local
committee of the civic league and the
friends of Drew W. Paulk.
Mr, Littlefield in formally withdraw
ing his name from nomination, explain
ed that it had become apparent after
the nominating caucus had acted, that
the city would experience one of the
bitterest political fights in its history
and would probably be hurt by clash
of interests, regardless of which side
won. When Mr. Paulk announced
his platform last week, which ‘was en
tirely i n accord with the wishes of the
league, Mr. Littlefit!ld decided to retire
from the race in the interest of civic
harmony.
At the meeting yesterday afternoon,
FITZGERALD COTTON
Good Middling --—-----10%jcts.
No Receipts No Sales,;?
VOL. XXVI NO. 28
minister, as saying Germany would
appeal to the League of Nations
against the penalties which the allies
had drawn up to compel obedience,
The Belgium delegates announced
the conference had broken up and the
allies will put the penalties into effect
immediately. :
In stating that he is unable to ac
,cept the Paris indemnity decision,
German Foreign Minister Simons said
he stood ready to do what he could
td meet the Paris figures but Germany
must have a loan, Upper Silesia must
‘remain German and any restrictions\_i
upon German world commerce must
be abolished. 3
- The conference adjourned at 1:30 to
meet again at 4:30. . Lloyd George,
spokesman for the Allies, in replying
to Simons, said “Although there is no
doubt as to what the Allies’ answer
will be, owing to the gravity of the
situation, we are prepared to give a
reasoned answer at St. James Palace
this afternoon.”
The great crowd that surrounded
Lancaster House, where the confer
ence was held, loudly cheered Lloyd
George and Bonar Law. It was silent
as the Germans appeared.
ENGLISH MURDER NOTED
IRISH REVOLUTIONISTS
(By International News Service)
DUBLIN, March 7.—Mayor Clan
cy and Former Mayor Michael O’-
Callaghan of Limerick were ghot to
death in their homes in Limerick ear
ly today. Clancy’s wife was wounded
in trying to defend her husband and
died later.
a committee composed of G. A. Jolley,
Wright T. Paulk, Dr. W. D. Dorminey
J. B. Davenport, and N, N. Littlefield,
was appointed by A. J. McDonald,
chairman of the League, to name a
new ticket to recommend to the league,
The ticket is headed by Drew W.
Paulk, who has served three terms as
mayor of Fitzgerald. For aldermen,
are J. E. Turner for years president of
the school board; A. H. Thurmond,
who is now representative of Ben Hill
County in the Legislature; Dr, E, J.
Dorminey; Clayton Jay, former mayor
of Fitzgerald; I. A. Cardwell, president
of the Wesleyan Adult Bible Class.
A committee was appointed to invite
the nominees who mere absent to at
tend the meeting and accept the nom
inations. Mr. Paulk received a round
of vigorous applause when he entered.
All the candidates except Mr., Card
well were present, and accepted ty
nomination s in person. Mr, Turner
accepted for Mr. Cardwell who was
forced to be absent because of a union
meeting at the same hour,
Complete harmony vrevailed at the
civic league mesating. ( hairman Mec-
Donald, Rv. I. P. Tyson, J. E. Turner,
A. ]. Swords, Wright T. Paulk N. N,
Littletield, Mrs. S. M. Whitchard and
others urged united support ior the
league's nominees, i
Miss Maggie Cowan arrived a few
rays ago to take up her duties as nfl%
liner at the Empire Store. -~
—_——— PR
Miss Minnie Jordan of Vienna has
arrived and is QQ}? ¢
liner at the Surprise Store. =