Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-09-16
Atlanta Opens Doors
To Street Car Men
President Arkwright Head Of Power
Company Addresses National Con-
vention At Opening of Session

Railway and Power company, dellV-
cred the address of welcome at the
opening session of the convention OF
the Amalgamated Association OF the
Street and Electric Railway Employ
ees OF America here.
This is one of the few times-if not
the only time-that an executive OF
street railway company has been
invited to welcome such a convention
aud has accepted. Mr.. Arkwright
said:
"Few conventions of trade unions
hear words of welcome spoken by
their employer"
"No union but yours, perhaps has
ever heard from the employer of all
the members of the trade in the con-
yention city"
"Not only are you welcomed here
by word of mouth, but you will ex-
perience during your stay a spirit of
good will and cordial interest in your
welfare throughout the entire electric
railway organization.
"Please let no one think this COM
.pany fails to appreciate your complete
independence or that it desires to
usurp the place of host to your meet
ing"
1T does want you to know however,
that the members of your local divi-
sion, all employees of this company,
have their company with them. To
the extent that the facilities or the
resources of their company can aid
them in entertaining this convention,
they are at their call.
This is done not for the purpose Of
winning the men, but because their
interest and enthusiasm in this COM
pany and the industry, they have them
selves won the right to it. They will
receive this company's help just as
fully as they want it, and the com
pany feels that they are just as much
entitled to it as would be a conven-
ion of managers.
No Antagonist Is Shown
Riding on street cars will not be
new to you, but the existence of a
cordial relationship between Union
and Company may be considered a
novelty by some"
Certainly, it is significant. 1t re-
flutes an idea prevalent in some quar-
tiers that trade unions and employers
are necessary antagonistic, and en-
phasizes an example of cooperation
and mutual regard between manage
ment and rien.
eve are IN the middle of the third
year and the third contract of opera
ton between this company and your
union. am sure it will be crafty
ing TO you, as 1t is 10 us, to report that
the relationship is mutually satisfac-
tory. and that it improves as it grows
Older AS you go round this town
you'll find much to admire"
"A widespread area, with houses
standing apart and people living far
beyond the confines of the city, with
light and air and sunshine all around
them. and no tenement district any
where; many thriving suburban towns
with their inhabitants coming into the
city each morning to work and back
at evening to comfortable homes. re-
moved from the citiy's noise and the
dirt.
You'll see sl<y-scraping office
buildings, great department stores,
retail shops innumerable, an unusual
of fine churches, many thea
tres. schools dotted here and there,
factories and mills of all kinds and
descriptions and all the other evidences
bf typical American city"
Atlanta's Growth Phenomenal
you'll find the peope of Atlanta
very proud of their city and its WON
derful growth from a little crossroad
village to ashes in the Civil war, to
city of over 100000 inhabitants.
"You can feel share in their pride
too. for the street railway made the
growth of this city possible just as
did that of all other cities.
"The activities and prosperity and
and convenience of this COM
tnunity as well as the other commun-
tiles where you serve depend on the
basic fundamental work that you and
your industry are doing.
Besides the street railway, in add
ition to valuable service rendered
pays the greatest amount of taxes in
the town, stands the cost of a large
proportion of the street paving, con-
tributes to the building of bridges and
widening of streets and heads the list
'of subscribers to nearly all civic en-.
terprises. And so of all conventions
that are held there can be none NOR,
entitled 20 welcome than a convention