Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THURSDAY EDITION THE WEATHER—Fair tonight and cooler in Southeast . : U. S. SENATE WILL PROBE RAILWAY CONTROVERSY Atlanta-Manchester Service Resumed Today On A. B. & A. RED REGIME THOUGHT TOPPLING “WHITE” ARMIES Reported that Kerensky May Re ~ sume Anti-Red Command BOLSHEVIKI DEFEATED Trotzky Takes Personal Com mand As Defeat Impends (By International News Service) BOLSHEVIK UPRISING IN BATUM BATUM, March 10—A Bolshevik uprising has broken out here. Thous ands of persons, in addition to the Allied mission and members of the Gtorgia Government, are leaving. The Bolsheviki hold the railway from Kutais to Batum. TROTZKY LEADS REDS TROOPS TO VICTORY ..LONDON, March 10.—A Moscow wireless announces the surrender of the Kronstadt Fortress by the Anti- Bolsheviki,assording to an exchange telegraph dispatch from Helsingfors. The Times printed an unconfirmed report from Riga that the Rebels took Petrograd and Soviet leaders fled in automobiles. : It is reported that Krasna, Jagorka and Oranienbaum were taken by the Rebels. A central news dispatch from Helsingfors reports that Trotsky led ‘the Bolshevists in recapturing Krasna and Jagorka. ".Advices from the foreign office are that the Rebels captured Pskoff for Fortress. It is reported in Riga that the Bolsheviks are retreating along the Nicolaievsky Railway. : Many British officials profess to believe that the Whites in Russia now have a chance for success. De velopments are being watched closely. The Star asserts that Kerensky, for mer Socialist Premier of Russia, is in London in touch with the foreign office. He is quoted as saying that he is confident of success. The Star expressed an apinion that Kerensky may soon appear in person as the leader of the Whites, | Senate Postpone - ® Columbian Treaty (By International News Service) ‘ WASHINGTON, March 10.—The Sénate. has postponed action on the Columbian Treaty until an extracr dinary session early in April, Thei postponement was forced by oppo nents of ratification. ‘ Summer Camp for Corn And Pig Club Boys Of Ben Hill And Irwin County Agent Owens Tells of Big Time in Store for Young sters This Year The following notice to club mem beps was handed to the Leader by Mr. Owens before his departure for Atlanta today: “It might be interesting to the club members in this county to know that we have sixty Corn and Pig Club members already enrolled and we fully expect to.increase this number to at least one hundred. We hope to make this year’s work with the club boys through the Farm Bureau more interesting and helpful than it has ever been. 4 ; “Sometime about August Ist, wé expect to have a camp for the Club boys in this county in connection: with the Club boys of Irwin county, either at Bone Lake or Bowen’s Mill. During the three “days spent in camp we will have some of the Club Di rectors from the State College of Ag riculture with us to give some real illustrative lectures from moving pic tures, teaching all kinds of improved methods of farming and growing live stock,.also with this moving picture outfit we will have some real inter b esting and funny picture shows to THE FIIZGERALD LEADER | AUDITORIUM COMMITTEE | MEETS THIS AFTERNOON .~ The jont committee from the | city council, board of education " and Woman’s Club appointed by | Mayor J. L. Pittman Monday to ~confer and make definite ‘plans for a high school auditorium is ) in session at the city hall this af ternoon. The Leader will carry | a full report of their plans to | morrow afternoon. % . Recreation Center ° . Free For Strikers Full Time Secretary Retained; Junior Memberships Be Accepted The board of managers of the Young Men’s Recreation Center last night extended an invitation to the employees of the Atlanta Birmingham and Atlantic railroad to use the gym nasium, reading room, game tables and athletic courts free of charge. The board yesterday retained Mr, Ben F. Tolle as corresponding sec retary and supervisor for the Center. Mr. Tolle is straightening up the ac counts of the organization and will accept new memberships upon appli cation at the Center in the old Good man building, south of the First Na tional Bank on Grant street. Under new regulations passed by the board, junior memberships will be accepted from boys between the ages of twelve and sixteen. A jynior_» em bership entitles a youngster to the privileges of the Center from 4 to 6 o'clock each afternoon and 10 t 0.12 t"clock Saturday mornings. No boys under sixteen will be allowed in the building after curfew. A regular membership at $l.OO per month en titles the member to privileges of the organization at all hours every day. Income Tax Man At - Chamber Commerce Mr. Parker of the internal revcnue‘ department of the United States gov-| ernment is at the Chamber of Com.-! merce assisting local people in making] out their income tax returns. He may‘ be seen at any time during the day after nine o’clock. Mr. Parker does not expect any appreciable decrease in the number of incomes to be turned in for taxation in this section but estimates are the total amount of the incomes will be under that of last year. This is styled a “loss taking year” by officials of the bureau, % entertain the boys. “We hope also to have a number of boy scouts with us and will divide the boys into military companies and do some real military drilling. We expect to make this one of the best] Club boy camps held in Georgia. “Different prizes will be awarded at this time on the best record books and other contests which will be held. There will be at least two hundred boys available to “attend this camp ing providing they carry out the work undertaken in theé growing of their acre of corn and pigs. Through thcsc} contests the boys will have an oppor tunity of preparing themselves for some of the state contests to be held in Atlanta, Macon, and other points in Georgia, “I trust that every boy in the coun ty will enter into this work with the idea of making good and winning some of the State prizes. I earnestly request the parents of the Club boys to assist us in making this a success ful year for Club boys in this county. Please don’t hesitate to call upon me for any information desired in re gard to this work. “Yours very truly, “C. T. Owens, County Agent.” VOL. I, NO. 4 LEADERS FOR STRIKE ‘ e e e e }Reply to Mayor Pittman Express | Sympathy for Men 'MARTIN ANSWERS SLUR Strike Is Entirely of Men’s Own - Will and Volition Mayor J. L. Pittman yesterday re ceived from Col. B. L. Bugg, ex president and receiver for the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic railway the following telegram in answer to his wire urging early settlement of the present strike: “Your night letter received. Regret inconvenience to your city and people along line due to present strike.! This \is a situation created, however, by employees and not management of road. I have been making every ef fort to persuade the employees to exercise reason and common sense but they have been badly advised and are now being made victims of their union leaders who fear possible influ ence on other roads of accepting what thgy must realize is a reasonable wage on Atlanta Birmingham and Atlantic. “The employees have my sincere sympathy. Am glad to know that at Fitzgerald they are conducting them selves with dignity and forbearance and hope they will continue to do sO.” Mayor Pittman had wired Col. Bugg as follows: “We would urge you in the intere_é; of the city and the people along your line to make every effort for an early adjustment of the strike. The men are conducting themselves with dig nity and forbearance and have the sympathy of" this community.” Not Leaders’ Strike : W. M. Martin, general chairman of the engineers employed by the A. B. & A. and chairman of the joint fed eration committee ' representing the thirteen crafts now on strike, replied} in no uncertain terms to the charge of Col. Bugg that the striking em ployees were dupes of their union chiefs. “We want it understood once and for all’ that the cessation of servicc’ which is now in effect, was made on' the initiative of the men who are out.” he declared. “It was started by them without direction or influence of any other organization or agency and is being prosecuted by them at their own volition, uninfluenced and un hampered. “The grand lodge officers of the Brotherhoods,” he continued, “had nothing to do with the negotiations, except in a passive advisory capacity, from December 29th, when the first proposal of a wage reduction was made, until March sth when the men severed relations with the operators of the road and placed the negotiations in the hands of the grand lodge offi cers: w o & “This walk out is unique in the annals of controversies between em ployers and employees in that there has never been a strike order issued,"l Mr. Martin stated. “The only fo'i'ce{ that impcllcd..th'e' men to leave thciri jobs was their owf’ consciences. Our | employer, the Atlanta Birmingham®& Atlantic railroad, had violated the law in its attempt to avoid the pay ment .of a just and reasonable wage scale. 'We could do nothing else but leave the service, | . “Mr. Bugg infers that the em ployees of the Atlanta Birmingham and Atlantic railroad are being used to fight the battles of all union labor against all railroad operators of the country,” continued Mr. Martin. “We entered this contest to protect ‘our own individual rights. If the rail roads have seen fit to make this fight a test of strength between capital and labor we are so placed that we must ‘accept the challenge and our case is so palpably just that we can win it without the assistance of our sympa thizers on other railroads. “However,” concluded Mr. Martin, “we are standing pat on the laws of the land as they directly control in FITZGERALD, GEORGIA, THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1921 | STANDARD OIL CO. 2 i PLANT IS BURNING (By International News Service) || NEW YORK, March 10.—Fire il broke out at noon in the plant of || the Standard Oil Company’s || Brooklyn plant. Four tanks are ]l reported to have exploded, others || are threatened. 3 . . Mediators Confer . l With Bugg And Men United States Commissioners Seek Solution for A. B. & A Tie Up Information reached local union of ficials last night that the United States Board of Mediation, created by the Newlands Act of 1913, would confer with Judge Samuel H. Sibley !and Receiver B. L. Bugg.of the At ’lanta Birmingham and Atlantic in an effort to find a solution for the dead lock in the wage controversy which Eis tying up the railroad. ; ~ The Birmingham Loan and Trust Company, whose petition caused the] ‘appointment of a receiver for the A. ‘B. & A. yesterday filed an amend .ment to its petition asserting the Newlands Act to be unconstitutional. Should that contention be sustained iat the hearing set by Judge Sibley for March 26th, the Board of Media ’tion would of course be held without !authority to help in the present diffi culty and the conferences, whatever ‘they offered in the wiy of a solution, lwould be considered as having never been held. l The Board of Mediation has ‘been in conference since Monday with the Grand Lodge Officers of the Brother hoods. . ’Slayer Ot Lover | ° Goes On Trial (By International News Service) ARDMORE, Okla, March 10—A girl with white face and set lips came into court today to face twelve men who will have her fate in their hands. She was Clara Smith Hamon, facing trial on the charge of murdering her husband Jake L. Hamon. She ‘was accompanied by her mother. el (By International News Service) PARIS, March 10—French military patrol upper Silesia was attacked by Germans arid several were wounded the Polish Legation announced.- The French in upper Silesia are on police duty pending the plebiscite on the question of whether the territory shall: be French or German. BERLIN, March 10.—Berlin is apathic over the Allied advance except for bitter press comment. Dr. Walter Simons, Foreign Press Minister, is expected to address the Reichstag to day. A huge crowd greeted Simons on his return from London where he conferred with the Allied Premiers. * . » Herrick Again Will Head French Embassy (By International News) WASHINGTON,March 9.—Presi dent Harding decided to send Myron Herrick of Ohio back to his old post as Abassador to France. It is learned | authoritatively today. this particular case. We did not pass these laws, in fact they were passed over our protests, but they are the laws of our country and we are going to fight to the last ditch to have them enforced.” Bugg Says He Will Be Ready to Run Others Tomorrow FREIGHT TRAIN RUNS Tinney Is at Throttle As Train _ Leaves Birminbham ‘ (By International News) BIRMINGHAM, March 10.—First freight train since the A. B. & A. strke began to run today from this point to Lineville, Ala. W. L. Tin ney,, ‘lumber man and former engin eér wa s at, the throttle as the train pulled out of the yards. ; i Passenger train scrvice on the A. B. & A. will be resumed tomorrow‘ between Atlanta and Manchester, Re ceiver Bugg announced. This will‘ be the first regular service since the walkout last Saturday. Workmen will be recruited for other trains from men applying for work. Tomorrow's service crew is already engaged. Two trains will be run, one on schedule No. 2 returning on schedule No. 15 about one hour late. Citizens of Omega indorsed the stand of the A. B. & A. Receiver. (By International News) MITCHELL, S. D, March 10— St. Paul train No. 106 bound from Aberdeen to Sioux City was, wrecked at Cuthbert, S. D, this morning. A wrecking crew has been sent out. No word of casualties has been received. Admission to the high school senior play tonight is '4O cents and 60 cents Col. Bugg Explains Finances of Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Col. Bugg Refutes Charge of Ex orbitant Commissions From Sale Of Bonds. The Leader publishes below a let ted received this morning from Col, Bugg ex-president and receiver of the A. B. & A, in which Col. Bugg ex plains the financial operation involved in reorganizing the road in 1916. The letter follows: Atlanta, March 9, 1921. Mr. Isador Gelders, Editor, Fitzgerald, Leader-Enterprise, Fitzgerald, Ga. Mr. Isidor Gelders, Editor, I have just seen an item from your issue of March 2nd headed, “Confi dence in Bugg as Receiver,” and thank you for your straight forward state-‘ ment with respect to having misquo ted me. With reference to the last para graph of the clipping I have in which you say, “It was stated by one of the labor leaders in Chicago before the Labor Board that out of a large bond issue the road really received approx imately one-third of the amount, the two-thirds going as underwriting char ges and commissions.” While I do not think that such a statement was made before the Labor Board at the hearing, at the same time there was a statement sent out to the newspapers by Mr. W, S. Carter, headed, “To be released when Mr. W. S, Carter Ap pears Before the Railway Wage Board in Chicago, probably Tuesday or Wed nesday, Januory 25 or 26th.” In that advance copy (which I understand was furnished the newspapers gener ally) there was a statement substan tually to the effect that you mention. I am writing you for your infor-§ mation, not asking you to publish it, although there is no objection if you desire to do so. 1 simply want to give you the facts about the erroneous ‘statement which is going around. | The present operating company, the Atlanta, Birmingham and Atlantic Railway Company, was organized and took gver the properties operated by SHORT AND SNAPPY NEWS OF THE WORLD BY TELEGRAPH COTTON—Good Middling..____lo7%4c No Sales, No Receipts HOLD CONFERENCE Author of Transportation Act Seeks Whose to Blame NATIONWIDE WAGE CUT New York Central Joins Penns ylvania Wage Reduction (By International News Service) WASHINGTON, March 10.—Sen ator Cummins of Towa, author of the Railroad law, after a conference with President Harding announced that the senate will shortly conduct an in vestigation of the entire railroad sit uation. It will probe whether the roads are grossly mismanaged and f there is justification for the present high rates. NEW YORK CITY, march 10— It is reported that the N2w York Cen tral will follow the lead of the Penn sylvania i 1 a drastc program of re trenchment. The New York Central has already given notice of a wage reduction effective April 1. It is now prepared, it is reported, to announce further reductions. CHICAGO, March 10.—Informa tion received at local headquarters of the railway labor department of the American Federation of Labor indi cates that virtually every large rail road in the country is preparing to put wage reductions into effect for all their employees. E. M. Jewell, chair man of the committee, said in discuss ing the proposed reduction announced by the Pennsylvania lines. An official of the Association of Western Railway Executives, who declined to be fuoted, said that Mr. Jewell's statement probably was true and that further wage reduction an nouncements might be expected "at any time. ’LABOR PREPARES 'FOR STRUGGLE WASHINGTON, March 10—La bor leaders are preparng for defen sive action against any general move ment to reduce wages. Announce ment of reduction by the railroads has brought strong protests, the Receiver of the A. B. and A. Rail way January 1, 1916. In this reorgan ization all the capital stock of the A. B. and A, Railway ‘Company, amount ing t 0525,000,000, all of the preferred stock amounting to $10,000,000, and the first mortgage gold coupon bonds amounting to $14,443,000 were wiped out, leaving only the underlying issue of first mortgage A, B, & A. Railway bonds of $4,090,000. In ths reprganization the holders of receivers’ certificates accepted for their holdings an issue of first mor tage bonds of the new company par for par, this issue amounting to $5,- 200,000, and the holders of the first mortage gold coupon bonds of the A. B. and A. Railroad Company were permitted to buy stock in new Com pany par for par upon payment of $12.00 per share of stock. Before the Receivership this stock was quoted on the New York Stock Exchange at about $6.00 per share now. The new company as organized is as follows: Common Stock ________ $30,000,000 15- year income mortage bonds ___ ‘ e $5,200,000 A. and B. Underlying bonds Sanßi T e e ee - $4,090,000 The amount received from the sale of the stock at $12.00 per share-$3,600,- 000-was applied to the payment of equipment of the A, B, and A. Railway Company then due or past due, togeth er with equipment notes of the old company due at a later date, and to payment of interest due on underly ing bonds, to the payment of legal ex penses of the receivership incurred during several years, interest charges and the fee to the underwriting syndi cate referred to by Mr. Carter, the com missions” in question amounting to $73,000 and $144,000 respectively, the balance of the amount received be ing turned over to the new company for working capitol. The amount of $72,000 paid to the financial agents and $144,000 to the underwriting syndicate were the only - " (Continued on Last Page)