Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1907-05-18
The Southern Express Company.

we have found reason to refer to the greatest mo-
nopoly in the South, the Southern Express Compa-
n.y.
We are opposed to monopolies in general,
and to any monopoly as complete and as arrogant
as the Southern Express Company is in particular.
Some of our recent references have been de
cidedly caustic, so much so as to attract atten-
ton of the high officials of the company
Thursday afternoon we had the honor OF
visit from Supt. Stockaday, and route agent, l.. f.
Brown. Supt Stockady brought with him the fol-
lowing clippings, from recent issue OF the Enter
prise. He stated that he came to make protest
against what he considered Misrepresentation,
and an underserved assault:
''It may be some years yet before the Southern
Express Company receives the proper attention
from a regulating commission. In the meantime
they will pile up many millions of profits, deliber
ately purloined from the pockets of the shippers
who are forced by reason of the great monopoly,
to patronize the robber company
In the interview many of the things that
were said might make interesting reading, but we
are not here for that purpose. We are not here
to make interesting reading we have more I'M
portant mission, a more practical duty. In this
instance it is to criticise what we consider the
greatest monopoly in all this country certainly the
most complete covering practically the South and
vastly more than 10000 miles of railway.
The Standard Oil Company has competition,
and every other trust that we call to mind has
some sort of competition, even the great western
Union Telegraph, Co. which however, is as AFRO
CANT and independent where there is no compet-
ton as is the Southern Express Company, it's
service as rotten and it's rates as unreasonable.
Now the question is how long7
How long will the public submit to the mono p
oily? Our prediction is not long
Public sentiment is getting right The rail
road commission must, in obedience to the de-
mands of the commercial interests of the state
do more than approve the rates written down by
the paid attorneys and tariff men of this great mo-
nopoly.
Now as to specifications; have no
written data and find it quite difficult and risky
business to trust to our memery for details, but
are prepared to defend the proposition that the
service is bad first as to dispatch, second as to
care in handling fragile and valuable property,
third as to the treatment of patrons who have
grievances and claims.
In addition to the bad service we have one
fend and that is high rates charged the people who
are forced, by reason of the complete monopoly to
patrOnize the company, and we do not base the
charge ON the fact that the company has grown
immensely rich; that it's stock cannot be bought Ill
the market That it's net revenues so great that
the company does not dare to publish them. These
are mere corObOrative circumstances. Our charge
is that the rates are unreasonable outrageousy ex
orbitant.
We believe the company would make money
reasonable dividend if the company was absolutely
present published rates.
1t is probably wrong, and certainly not our in
tention to charge fraud wrong doing to any
official agent or employee of the Southern Express
company Those we happen to be personally ac-
quanted with are very nice men, althO 1T is our
observation that from route agents down they are
ested in that; want to see better service at
more reasonable rates, and mark the the prediction,
we will see both in less than "a months, not only
in Georgia. but across the state lines.
Fitzgerald is a right good town and she
is improving growing in grace every day.
Mr.. Oscar Wooten Chief Clerk to Supt. &. c.
Smith is quite sick with appendicitis at the En-
pire Hotel
The Enterprise office is the busiest place