Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY
EDITION -
"VOL. XXVI,
NO. 31,
FITZGERALD IS NEUTRAL IN A.B. &A. STRIKE
AB.&A. RUNS TRAIN
‘Thomasville Train Left City at
7:45 O’clock Today
“~STRIKERS LOOK ON
No Attempt by Them to Inter
fere with Operation
‘The first passenger train operated
out of Fitzgerald by the Atlanta Bir
mingham and Atlantic /\started “the
‘trip down the Thomasvillé branch at
7:45 o’clock- this morning with Meeks
of Nicholls at the throttle, and Pay
ton, home address unknown, as con
ductor. Bob McKay, superintendent,
had general charge.
Although no announcement had
been made that the train would run, a
large crowd gathered at the station
to “see it off.” Among the number
‘were many strikers who made no
move to prevent the departure of the
train, which consisted of four passen
ger coaches and a locomotive.
The train carried no passengers out
of Fitzgerald although it expected to
pick up passengers along the road.
The crew as augmented by extra
firemen who acted as guards.
-*9 3 °
More Officials Quit
. s
Service Of A.B. & A.
All Road Masters on the Brunswick
Bivision Leave the Service of Road
Rather than employ and work
strike breakers whom they had been
ordered to employ all road masters
on the A. B. & A. left the service to
day. Ordinarily there are employed
on the Brunswick division of the A.
B. & A. Road three road masters and
‘have been in service for years, How
ever, they state that they would rather
leave the service and join the strikers
than handle the class of labor, that
will have to be ‘employed as strike
breakers. ‘
The entire force of track men went
on strike when the other men struck
with' the exception of the road mas
ters. All of the men in this depart
ment that were made on the A. B. &
A., with very few exceptions came
to the road as beginners,
They are Smith of the Fitzgerald-
Manchester division; J. U. Martin on
‘the Brunswick division, T. H. Dean
of Nicholls division. %
. o
Alma Merchants Sign - 1
o
- Neutrality Papers
O B |
Fourteen Declare in Favor of Strik
ers; Twenty-two Neutral {
% l
. A. M. Barrett brought to the Lead-j
er office this morning three declara
tions of faith on the . present railroad
situation which were offered mer
chants and leading citizens of Alma,
Ga., to sign yesterdav. One which
declared in favor of the strikers had
fourteen signatures. ‘One which de
clared neutrality had twenty-two
names. One which declared for the
receiver had no names signed. _
Fate Of Slayer Of
Lover Up To Jury
{By International News Service)
ARDMORE, OKLA., March 16th.,
—The actua] trial of Clara Smith Ha
mon charged with the murder of Jake
Hamon ended here shortly after ten
©o'clock today when both prosecution
and defense rested their case.
Court adjourned to three this after
noon to enable Judge Champion to
prepare his charge to the jury. It is
expected that the case will go to the
jury late this afternoon.
Fire Takes $200,000
Toll At Warrenton
(By International News Service)
WARRENPTON, Ga., March 16.
The Ford building, livery stables,
Reicketson store, Whitely warehouse
and two other buildings burned to
day. The loss is estimated at two
hundred’ thousand dollars. It was
about half insured.
Electric Transformer
- Explodes; Two Dead
(By International News Service)
© DALTON, GA. March 16.—Henry
) Ligeett was killed and J. V. Leggett
were burned severly when transform-
THE FITZGERALD LEADER
WEATHER—Georgia: Cloudy
Tonight and Thursday.
Croxton Says Both Rate And Wage l
Increase Made Under U. S. Control
A.B.&A. ANNOUNCES
(By International News)
ATLANTA, March 16th.—The A.
B. & A. today announced the exten
sion of train service to include a round
trip between Fitzgerald and Thomas
ville daily and a round trip between
Douglas and Brunswick. Trains be
tween Atlanta and Cordele down one
day and back the next. Further ex
tensions are planned. The trains are
operated entirely by non-unionists as
practically no strikers have returned
to work. _
The extended service includes
freight service between -Birmingham,
and Lineville, yard service in Atlanta,
Birmingham and Manchester. |
(By International News)
A. F. & G. PLANS TO
MAKE EXTENSIONS ;
WASHINGTON, March 16th.—
The Alabama, Florida and Gulf Rail
road today applied to the Interstate
Commerce Commission for authority
to issue one-hundred and fifty thous
and dollars in seven per cent first
mortgage sinking fund Gold Bonds
to use in financing new. constructions.
PENN. R. R. TO CONFER
ON WAGE REDUCTIONS
% (By International News Service) ®
PHILADELPHIA, March 16—
Notice will be placed on bulletin
boards of the Pennsylvania Railroad
system by Thursday of this week in
forming officer subordinate officials
and employees that “Changed condi
tions since the present rates became
effective warrant reduction in. salar
ies and wages” and that the manage
ment therefore proposes a reduction in
salaries and wages effective April 20.
Conferences are scheduled at which
representatives of subordinates and
officials are invited to attend. ’
Rochelle Be Host l
To Sunday Schools
'Plan Program and Ehterminment for
Works of Cordele District
—_—
The Methodists of Rochelle are to
entertain the Suml’?' Sschool Work
ers of Cordele' District at the annual‘
Sunday School Thstitute to be held
Wednesday and Thursday, March 30
“and 31. Tfle program has been ar
ranged by Rev. G. E. Clary of By
romville, District Director, and cov
ers every phase of Sunday School%
work. Among the teachers are some
of the leading preachers and laymen
of the South Georgia Conference,
Wednesday night Rev. J. A. Har
mon, of Macon, Director-the Christ
ian Education Movement, will give
an illustrated lecture on “Christian
Education and the Sunday School”
Another leading feature of the Insti
tute will be the series of devotional
addresses at th’e opening of the ses
| sions by the presiding elder, Rev. A.
W. Rees of Cordele. ‘
Every Sunday School in the dis
trict is expected to send delegates
and Rochelle under the leadership of
Pastor M. W. Carmichael is prepar
ing to care for one of the largest
crowds that has ever gathered at a
religious meeting in Wilcox County.
-0,0 o
British Sign For
| ®
; Trade With Russ
(By International News Service)
LONDON, March 16—~A commer
cial agreement for reciprocal trading:
has been signed by Great Britain and
Soviet Russia, it is officially an
nounced today. :
e R
® ®
Auto Bandits Kill
3 ®
And Rob'Autoists
. (By International News)
NEW ORLEANS, March 16—
Frank Priett was shot fatally by
auto bandits who attacked him and
two companions in an automobile on
a lonely road in St. Bernard Parish
this morning. They robbed the par
ty of two hundred dollars.
. F. & A M.
Pine Level Lodge 353 will hold a
special communication Thursday ev
ening March 17th, at 8 o’clock, at
which time the Master Mason Degree
will be conferred.
All memberg are requested to at
tend. Visitors welcome.
. _DAVID L. PAULK, W. M.
FITZGERALD, BEN HILL COUNTY, GEORGIAWEDNESDAY, MAR. 16, 1921
Statement in Leader that Rate.
‘lncrease Was After Return,
" Is Questioned |
Porter Says that Rate Increase
. Was Intended to Cover
Wage Raises Anyway
(From Yesterday's Daily)
We are in receipt of the following
letter from Mr. W. M. Croxten, Pas
senger Traffic Manager of the A. B.
& A. Railway: =
Mr. Isidor Gelders, Editor,
Fitzgerald Leader-Znterprise,
Fitzgerald, Ga.
My Dear Mr. Gelders:—
I know you always desire to be fair
in your statements in regard to the
present unfortunate situation created
by strike of employees of A. B, & A.
Railway; I .therefore am taking the
liberty of calling your attention to
an incorrect statemeént contained in
editorial appearing in your issue of
March Bth, reading, as follows:
“Remember__the present almost
prohibitive freight and passenger
rates were put into effect AFTER
the government had relinquished con
trol of the railroads and the present
scale of pay was fixed BEFORE the
government relinquished control.”
This statement is misleading and
might create a decidedly wrong im
pression in the minds of some of your
impartial readers.
The railroads were taken over by
the United States Railrdad Adminis
tration under date of December 27,
1917. General Order 27 of the Unit
ed States Railroad Administration, in
creasing wages of all employees, was
made effective. January 1, 1918." Gen
eral Order 28 of the United States
Railroad Administration, increasing
passenger fares to 3¢ per mile. and
freight rates 25 per cent, was made
effective, as to passenger fares, June
10, 1918, and as to freight rates June
25, 1918. ’ United States Labor' Board
Decision®No.- 2, increasing wages be
came effective on May 1, 1920. After
the railroads were relinquished from
Federal control on February 29, 1920.
Interstate Commerce Commission au
thorized the following increase in pas
senger and freight rates, Ex Parte 74,
viz.:
* 20% as to passenger fares with
in the South, and '
25% as to freight rates within
the South,
both advances being effective August
26, 1920. These increases became ef
fective in Georgia September, 1, 1920; |
so that you will observe both of the
recent increases in wages and the last
increase and freight ratés and pas
senger fares were authorized by gov
ernmental agencies after the relin
quishment of Federal control on Feb.
29, 1920.
Yours very truly,
W. A. Croxton, Passenger Traffic
Manager. :
We are glad to publish the letter
because ‘it is our whole desire to keep
the records straight, and give our
readers the facts just as fast as we
can get them together, for this most
important subject of transporation
must be settled, like all other ques
tions RIGHT. P
. Our error, if indeed it is one, in the
editorial referred fo lies in the fact
that we in common with the average
citizen had fallen into the habit of
thinking the government in reality
‘relinquished the roads on September
Ist, 1920, at which time, however, it
simply stopped its guarantee to make
good all losses. ’
In other words, the last\increases,
both of wages and transportation
charges were made whil?. the gov
ernment was paying the !bills, and
those of us who remember the press
dispatches of last summer when the
hearings were going on before the
Interstate Commerce Comimission for
an advance in both passenger and
freight rates will recall the fact that it
was generally understood “that these
increases would take care of the last
increase in wages which had become
effective on May Ist, 1920.
We realized that the high freights
allowed would be 3 heavy burden for
the consuming public to carry, but
everybody began to adjust themselves
assuming that the men who were ac
tually doing the work were the bene
ficiaries ~thereof. ~The unfortunate
.conditions existing along the line oil
the A. B. & A. at this time would in
dicate that somebody has made a
mistake that is almost unpardonable.
R. E. PORTER.
BANDITS ROB KANSAS 7 |
: BANK AND ESCAPE
(By International News) &
. UNIONSTOWN, Kans., March 16.
~The State Bank here was robbed of
several thousand dollars by armed
mfifim escaped in an automo
. A R S L S )
’
‘GREATER GEORGIA
Is Chairman of Ben Hill County
; Industrial Movement
TO DEVELOPE INDUSTRY
Make South Great Manufactur
ing Section in Future
J. H. Mayes, General Manager of
the Fitzgerald Cotton Mills will head
the movement for a*greater industrial
Geogia through 4 Greater Georgia
Tech in Ben Hill County. Announce
ment that Mr. Mayes had been offer
ed, and had accepted the chairman
ship of this important movement for
this county was made yesterday by
Victor Allen, of Buford, General Chair
man of the movement.
The Greater Georgia Tech cam
paign will begin April 20, under pe
culiarly favorable conditions. Its ob
jective is 5,000 students, and of train
ing them as well as any school in the
world into producers; men who will
develop the enormous natural resour
ces of the state, now for the most part
either untouched or sent out in crude
form to be made into valuable com
mercial products in other states, which
thus reap practically all the benefit
and profit,
Georgia beging work on this fund
with a challenge from Georgians in
New York City, headed by Ivy L. Lee,
that they will raise in New York and
the - East $1,000,000, if Georgia will
raise the remainder’ On top of this
comes the approval of the Georgia Cot
ton Manufacturers’ Association of a
resolution that its members shall con
tributessoo,ooo to the fund.
- The appointment of a chairman in
this county is a step in a great gen
eral organization, beginning w#h the
acceptance of Victor Allen of Buford
as chairman of the state executive
committee. The state is divided in
to five regions, with_a chairman for
each, having approximately thirty
counties under his general supervi
‘'sion. The county wunit organization,
however, is probably the most impor
tant factor of the entire plan, ‘and the
general committee is exercising the
greatest care in choosing men to whom
the appointments will be offered.
The Greater Georgia Tech made
possible by the fund will include in its
scope a research laboratory__the only
one south of the Mason and Dixon
Line; of vast importance to all the
state’s industries; an extention service,
by which Georgia industries will be
supplied experts at any time, to go
to their plants and assist in working
out their problems; an industrial de
velopment department, for the bring
ing together of capital__from outside
states as well as in Georgia—and Geor
gai opportunities; and the technical
training of Georgia’s greatest asset,
her young men, to take charge of her
industrial affairs and to send her to
the front rank of the industrial states
of the Union.
i 5
Atlanta Detectives
Jail [Loungelizards
(By International News Service)
ATLANTA, March 16.—Secretly
organized raids by the police and
detective squads in all parts of Atlan
ta last night and this morning netted
over one hundred prisoners including
those charged by authorities with be
ing poolsharks, loungelizards, tea
‘hounds, bootleggers pistol toters and
pinch-back dandies. -
_ Chief Pool announced his determi
nation to rid Atlanta of such undesir
ables to stem the crime wave which
had spread a gloom:' over the capitol.
PRESIDENT P. O. of A.
: VISITS LOCAL LODGE
Mrs. Emma M. Buell, president of
the P. O. of A., the Woman’s Auxiil
iary organization of the P. O. S. of A.
visited the local lodge of the order
last evening and was entertained with
a ‘reception. A large gathering of
members and their friends enjoyed the
address made by the Grand President.
¢ & ?
An Old Fisherman
Wins Big Art Prize
(By International News Service)
PROVINCETOWN, Mass, Mar.‘
16.—The American Academy of Art!
has notified Ross E. Moffet, an artist
of this town, that he has been award
ed the Hallgarten prize of $5OO for
his painting, “An Old Fisherman.”
U. S. SENATE .
ADJOURNED J
~ WASHINGTON, March 15.—Sen
‘ate adjourned sine die at 11:36 o’clock
(this morning to reconvene in special
session called by President Harding
$lO,OOO IS LOOKING ‘
~~* FOR PLACE TO LIGHT
- (By International News Service)
~ WORCESTER, Mass.,, March
#l6.—The sum of $lO,OOO in de
posits in New York and ‘Boston
_banks is left to Frank Flynn,
presumably of Worcester, by his
brother, John Flynn, who was
recently found dead on the beach
at St. Augustine, Fla., according
to advices received by Postmas-«
ter James Healy.
Postmaster Healy has- turned’
the matter over to Captain James
J. Casey, of the detective bureau
who is conducting a State-wide
search for the missing heir. ‘
*
Ocilla Is Pleased
. e e
With Fitz-Hi Play
Senior Class Presents Its Play Be
fore Appreciative Audience
“Assisted by Sadie,” was presented
to an audience of about 200 people,
in the Ocilla High School Auditorium,
last night by the Fitz-Hi senior class.
About 50 people of this audience were
from Fitzgerald, their purpose being
to see this play again.
The players all acquitted themselves
w‘él], and altho playing to a smaller
audience, they seemed to throw them
selves into the spirit of the play so
that it took well, and literally kept
the audience to their toes, to see what
would be the next move on the part
of the characters in the play. Every
joke was received with hearty ap
plause, and the adventurous spirit
seemed to rise up in the audience,
whenever the mystery, or adventure,
feature of this snappy drama was
brought out.
All of the Fitzgerald, people who
went over to Ocilla last night de
clared the play well worth eight mile
trip to see, even for the second time
After all of the expenses in Ocilla
were played, the senior class had
thirty dollars, to add to their class
fund. y ol ‘
The Ocilla people showed that they
appreciated good plays, by the way
that the play took with them, and
they one and all voted it one of the
best plays of the year.
o
Harding Heads Boy I
.
Scouts of America
(By International News Service)
WASHINGTON, March 16.
President Harding today accepted the
honorary Presidency of the Boy
Scouts of America.
Germany Must Pay A
® * .
Billion This Week
(By International News Service)
PARIS, March 16th,—Reparations
Commission has notified Germany she
must pay one million gold marks in
demnity within the week it was learn
ed today. This is part of the twelve
billion Germany must pay before May
the first. |
Panama and U.S. May
Make New Agreement
~ (By International News Service)
l WASHINGTON, March 16th.,—
The State Department has requested
‘newspapers not to editorialize on 'the
story “New Basis of Negotiation Qut
lined in Panama” in a note sent by
this government. The story was sent
out as a Washington dispatch, the
state department said today, but.the
‘policy of this. government as set forth
in the storywas misrepresented.
Lost Pins Evaporate
Says Atlanta Savant
ATLANTA, March 15.—A new and
simple explanation 9f tiue thread bare
puzzie of what becomes of the mil
lions of pins manufactured every day
has been advanced by Professor Wil
liam J. Colé, Atlanta’s aged scientist
whose researches in many fields en
title him to world remown.
With his customary simple direct
ness, Professor Cole explains that a
pin when exposed to the atmosphere
will rapidly change into a brownish
rust for which the scientific name is
ferrous oxide, and will simply dissolve
into the air and disappear. If you
doubt it, says the professor, put away
a pin and watch it. s
COTTON—Good Middling _.__lo%4¢c
No Receipts L No Sales
Income Tax Experts Expect No
Exemption Limit Change
NEED MORE REVENUE
Income Tax Is Smoothest Work
ing And Will Remain
(By International News Service)
Washington, March 16— Groans
that are going up all over the coun--
try today as belated income-tax checks
are dropped into the Federal Treasury
‘are penetrating to Washington bue
even more penetrating is the insistent
demand for more revenue to meet the
burden of government expenditure.
Taxation and tariff Legislative ex
perts are now trying to whip into
shape revenue legislation for the Sixty
seventh Congress which meets April,
11, offer little hope that the Income
will be materially modified under the
new regime.. .
The Income Tax, Law is working
smoothly, much more smoothly than
some other features of the present tax
laws and the plan is .to leave well
lenough alone. Consideration will be
‘given, however, to correction of excess
‘profits and surtaxes.
As for the sinall salaried man, he can
look forward to paying the govern
ment four pet cent on his income for
sometime yet, according to Congres
sional tax framers. It is the belief
of the framers of the legislation as well
as of Mreasury experts that neither
the percentage or the taxation will be
decreased or- that individual exemp
tions will ‘be raised by the new Con
gress. ' g
® oßle
Dr. Irwin Willis Is
Dead at Omega, Ga,
Dr. Willis of Omega, a prominent
citizen of Tift county and member of
Gethemane Commandery Knights
Templar of this city, died suddegly
at his home in Omega this morning.
The remains will be interred in the
Tifton cemetery Thursday where a
committee of Templars from this city
will attend. '
Seek Man Who Shot
Alleged Betrayer
(By International News Service)
ATLANTA, GA. March 16—Offi
cers headed a posse today searching
De Kalb County for Homer Thomp
son, farmer actused of having shot
and killed Ernest '‘Brown, twenty
three, late last night. It is reported
that Thompson charged Brown went
to a rendezvous with Mrs. Thompson
and he followed. Thompson and his
wife fled after the §hootirfg in an auto
mbile.
Abbevile, Rochelle, /
Douglas and Ocilla
Readers Attention:
If a general strike is called on all railroads in the
Southeast, the Leader Publishing Company will
start/two automobile routes. with its daily paper
out of Fitzgerald the day it is called. One route
will carry six hundred papers to Ocilla and Douglas
and one will carry four hundred papers to Abbe
ville and Rochelle. We want to get in touch AT
ONCE with a live wire man in each place who will
be competent to handle the local distribution of the
Daily Leader.
Should a general strike be called, mail service
will be cut off entirely, no big city dailies will reach
this section, and the Leader, by automobile, carry~
ing the telegraphic news of the world by l’nt'emy -
tional News Service, will be your only reliable com
munication with the outside world. The demm
will be large enough to enable a hustler to mak
considerable money as agent for them,
The following schedule will be put in effect in
case a general strike is called and the out of town
circulation of the paper will be limited as specified
in order to conserve our supply of newsprinité,,ipgr:
Arrive Ocilla, 300 copies, 4:15. f‘;,.,;.»,{,,},,;__ % '. \,
Arrive Douglas, 300 copies, 4:45. Ve
Arrive Abbeville, 200 copies, 4:30,
Arrive Rochelle, 200 copies, 4:45. ' = . -
Responsible parties should wire or' write AT
ONCE giving at least two references in order that .
contracts and instructions may be forwarded and
the organization for a satisfactory dmufitmn
tem perfected, immediately, *No applications :‘f:;%
Friday. Lk T
ADDRESS—— : pl
CIRCULATION MANAGER,
LEADER PUBLISHING COMPANY,
FITZGERALD,GA. . .y .
e L T e Mes SN
IR e R
SHORT AND SNAPPY
NEWS OF THE WORLD
BY TELEGRAPH
Official Organ
City of Fitzgerald’
MAas MEETING fiwfi!
ELD LAST NIGHT
Will Do All Possible and Honor
able to Settle Strike . &
ABOUT FIFTY PRE "'w‘_‘ :
Declare Themselves Willing sB'
Do Both Sides Justice T
At a meeting of representative bus'-'-:
iness men of Fitzgerald last “night,
Fitzgerald was declared to be neutral
in the present controversy between
the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlan
tic railroad and its employes who- are
now on strike. - i :
According ‘to J. H. Mayes, presi
dent of the Chamber of Commerce,
who was named chairman of the
meeting, about fifty business men
were present. It was not a Chamber
of Commerce meeting but held sim
ply as a mass meeting of the business
men who were present. s
The resolutions are as follows:
“At a large citizen’s meeting held
‘this date the following: resolutions
‘were passed. :
“Whereas the impression has gone
abroad that Fitzgerald through, her
Mayor is very much in sympathy with
the Employees of the A. B. & A. and
against the officials of the road and
since it has been the better judge
ment of Fitzgerald citizens that they
remain neutral, throughout this con
troversy the business men of Fitz
gerald, assembled pass the following
resolutions.
“That we have endeavored to give
both sides justice and are ready and
willing to do every thing honorable
to assist both sides settling their
greivances realizing what it means to
our city for the A. B. & A. Railroad
to resume operations and for the Em
ployees to return to work.
“We stand ready and willing to do
every thing in our power to bring this
argument to a satisfactory settlement
and reports to the contriry are with
out foundation.
“Resolved that the Officials and
Employees of the A. B. & A.-Railroad
together with the local papers be fur
nished a copy of these resolutions.
’ “Business Men's Committee.”
Free McCoy Of Felts .
L
Murder Charge Today
(By International News Service) -
WILLIAMSON, W. Va, Marchl6
—~Calvin McCoy is tfimenth man
freed from murder charge in the Trigs,
ger trial, just after both sides closed
their case today. The State announc
ed that it failed to find sufficient evi
dence to connect him with the alleged
conspiracy- to kill detective Albert
Felts. Sixteen defendants remain to
be tried. :