The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1921-02-04
TO THE HONORABLE UNITED
| STATES RAILROAD LABOR


Whereas, there has arisen between
the Atlanta, Birmingham and Allan
es controversy as to reduction in
the wages now being paid by said
Railway Company, and
Whereas, the question has been sub
mitted to the United States Railway
'pue 'uo9pu!WI9lop IoJ prog
Whereas, proposition has been
submitted to said Labor Board that if
the said railroad company cannot OPP
crate and pay the present wages, that
it should be "junked, and,
Whereas, the general public is so
interested i'll the operation of said
railroad than either of the parties of
said controversy. and believing that
the said Labor Board should have the
benefit and knowledge of the past and
present conditions of the country
traversed by said Railway Company
and from source unprejuced, the
Chamber of Commerce of the people
of the city of Fitzgerald, Georgia, a
representative body of the people of
the city OF Fitzgerald and Ben Hill
County Geaorgia, desire to call the
attention Of the Labor Board to the
| following facts:
First: that twenty-five years ago
where the present site of the Fitzger-
| aid, Ga, is, there pactically was moth
ing but tupentine still and a wider
ness; that there were at the time six or
seven hundred people located in and
about the vicinity of where Fitzgerald
now stands, with no railroad facilities
whatever.
Second: That about five years after
the time the Atlanta, Birmingham
and Atlantic Railroad Company reach
ed Fitzgerald there were no railroad
facilities on the west side Of Fitzgerald
nearer than seVenty-one miles, and on
the north side about twenty-five miles
there was a branch OF the Seaboard
Air Line Railroad running from Able
vile to Della and short line known
as the Triton and Northeastern to Tiff
ton, which latter road is now part OF
the A. B. 4 A. Railway system That
upon the completion of said Railway
Company to Fitzgerald this entire sec
ton began to develop in an ayricultur-
al way that with the assistance of the
said Railway Company this entire sec
ton is now practically depoted to ag-
riculture. The lands have been clear
ed and property values have increased
THIRD: At the time the said Rail
way Company was completed to Fitz-
gerald, Ga, the value of land averaged
about $3.50 per acre. and that the val
tie at the present time for agricultural
land within the radius of six or sever
miles of the City ran from Fifty tc
One Hundred and Fifty dollars pei
acre
| FOURTH: That since the compile
ton of said Railway Company to Fitz
gerald vast amounts of money hav,
been spent in building factories, ware
houses, gins, flour mills, and othel
improvements, and the city has grown
from mere village to a population O
about Eight Thousand people and !;
new county has been created with tn,
City of Fitzgerald as the County seat
and the county has population o
about Fifteen Thousand people.
FIFTH: We are thoroughly CONVEX
SAINT with conditions in the entire sec
ton traverscd by said Railway Com
pany and we realize that the said Rail
way Company is not securing the a
mount of business that it has hereto
fore enjoyed for various reasons, on,
OF the principal reasons being that tn,
boil weevil has reduced the cotton in
dustry approximately two thirds. Fo
instance the Coutny of Ben Hill for
mery produced between twelve anC