The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-07-25
.SUPT. COUNCIL
MAKES PLEA FOR
LAW OBSERVANCE

Editor of The Evening Telegram:
Referring to the strike of our shop
men.
The issue of our shopmen is ma
tiOnal one and ! have no quarrel with
them. | personally know a great
many of them. who are my neighbors
and friends who do not sanction the
mob tactics that have been pulled
off in our streets. | own considerable
property here and am vitality interest
ed personally in the future welfare
and development of Lakeland. | have
lived in Lakeland for more than fiji
teen years and have always used my
influence with the Atlantic Coast
Line to concentrate their activities
at this point and have never allow
ed an opportunity to pass to direct
all possible industry and investment
to this city. The present wonderful
development of the Atlantic Coast
Line and its subsidiaries in this city
is partially due to my endeavors to
interest investment in our midst.
1t is unfortunate that we have per-
mitted people to- be mobbed and beat
en- on our principal streets and the
advertising of such tactics is any
thing but beneficial to our city Men
have been beaten on our public streets
and the perpetrators of these outrages
have not been brought to justice. The
Atlantic Coast Line is not asking that
any community take sides with them
in the present issue; all We want
is justice and the laws of the coun-
try and our state and city upheld.
We are endeavOring to furnish trans.
portatiOn and serve the public under
existing conditions. In order to do
so we have recruited locally. princi-
pally from Polk county, number of
workmen, who are now working in
our shops. Quite a number of our
workmen have been assaulted on
streets of Lakeland for no other crime
than that of working as laborer i'll
our shops. Such conditions are in
tolerable and our neighboring cities
and towns are making strong bids
and offers to the Atlantic Coast Line
for the transfer of their facilities
to other cities. | entertained yester
day committee from one of our
adjoining cities of representative ci-
tizens assuring us. if we would con-
slider the removal of our facilities,
full protection and free site for all
our activities and a bonus of $4,000
cash.
| expect to meet other committees
from time to time along the same
lines who have requested a confer
ence on the subject. While Lakeland
is the logical place for the concen-
tration of our activities it does not
mean that it is not possible to trans
ter them to other points. and while
the management of this company has
signified no intention of doing so up
to this time. as a citizen and proper
ty owner of Lakeland | fear If the
present disorders are continued that
we are treading on dangerous ground
and il we do not lose our present
industry, that the management of the
Atlantic Coast Line will not be in
clined to enlarge it, which step has
been under consideration. | consid-
er it high time that the people of
the city of Lakeland wake up to the
situation as we'll as the striking shop
men, who are also property owners
and good citizens of the town and
see that these disorders occurring on
our streets are stopped and our streets
made safe for all persons in their
constitutional rights.
J.F. COUNCIL.
SuperintendenS.