The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1921-02-09
A. B. & A. Officials And EMPLOYEES
Issue Statements To The Public
McCreary Outlines Case of En-
ployes; Scouts A. B. & A.
Junking Suggestion

ioouSu several statements
through the press in regard to the
existing controversy between the com.
pany and its employees. The employ.
es and their representatives feel tina,
IN justice to the general public and
themselves a statement should be is.
sued setting forth their side of the
controversy at this time.
The Transportation Act of 1920
passed by Congress at the urgent re.
quest OF the carriers to govern the op-
cation of railroads on and after the
period of Government control pro-
vides tribunal known as the United
States Railway Labor Board to which
all disputes originating over the ques-
ton OF wages and working conditions
wherein amicable adjustment cannot
be reached, must be submitted. We
herewith quote Section 3Ol, of the
transportation Act:
Board Must Fix Wages
1t shall be the duty of all carri-
ers and their officers, employees and
agents to exert every reasonable eff
tort and adopt every available means
to avoid any interruption to the on
Grafton OF any carrier growing out of
the dispute between the carrier and
the employees or subordinate officials
thereof. All such disputes shall he
considered and, if possible, decided in
conference between Representatives
designated and authorized so to con-
ter by the carriers, or the employees or
subordinate officials thereof, directly
interested in the dispute. If any dis
pute is not decided in such confer
ence' 1t shall be referred by the parties
thereto to the board which under the
provisions of this title is authorized
hear and decide such disputes"
lnasmuch as the employees were
compelled to handle their recent ne
gotlations for a wage increase in ac-
cordance with the provisions of the
transportation Act, undergoing the
hardshlps of working for low wages
and facing a continued incease in the
cost OF living, and waiting many
months tor decision from the Board
we nave commended all along that any
change desired in wages or working
conditions by the carrier should nee
essarily go through the same line of
procedure. We were sustained in our
contention by the United States Rail
road Labor Board in their resolution
OF January 9th, setting the late of
February 10th, for hearing before the
Board and withholding tn proposed
reduction, pending the hearing and
decision thereon.
In statement issued by the man
agement to the press, mention was
made that employees had been in
creased three fold, this we interpret
to mean three hundred per cent in
cease IN wages, this is not the fact,
as the United States Railroad Labor
Board in their Wage Series Report
No. l; shows the general average of
increase to railroad employees since
December 1917 to be 81 per cent
The statement of the Management as
shown above tends to mislead the
public as to the true facts in the case.
Cannot Junk A. B. & A.
This same statement mentions the
possibility of the junking or scrap
ping of the A. B. and A. Property,
this is also misleading to the public
as the provisions of the Transporta-
ton Act, Section 402, paragraph IL,
provides the only means by which a
railroad may be junked. Quoting in
part, Paragraph 18,
"and no carrier by railroad subject
to this Act shall abandon all or anv
portion of line of railroad, or the
operation thereon, unless and until
there shall first have been obtained
from the commission a certificate
that the present or future public con-
veyance and necessity permits of such
abandonment"
Therefore the possibility of the A.
B. and A. Ry, being junked because
of their being unable to reduce wages
is absurd.
Officials of the company are at
present addressing public meetings al
different stations along its line of road
At these meetings certain statements
are being made with the intention oil
trying to stampede the residents oil
these communities into the belief thai
the railroad will be abandoned if the
company cannot cut wages or change
working conditions to suit itself W.
ask the public and the residents alonf
this line of road in particular to con
slider the above facts before taking
judgment in the matter.
J. F. McCreary,
Secretary of Employees & Represen
tatives Joint Committee.
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