Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-02-16
.KINANIANS TO ATTEND.
CHAMBER DINNER IN
BODY FRIDAY NIGHT
John A. Streyer, Short Line
Traffic Manager, Speaks Be
fore Americas Club
WANTS. CHANCE TO SERVE
Transportation is Most Inpor-
tant Question Today, Speak
er Asserts

BY unanimous vote the Kiwanis
club will attend 100 per cent at the
Chamber of Commerce membership
dinner Tuesday evening at the
windsor Hotel ct $3.50, the members
voting to this effect Friday at its
luncheon.
I'VE Kiwanians want TO go on re-
cord as being leo per cent behind
out local commercial body" Vice
President Lewis Ellis said to a
representative of the Chamber OF
Commerce who had extended the
invitation. "You can count on us
now. If you had done nothing more
than putting malarial control well
under way the past year, You would
have merited the support of the
community"
In the absence of Evan Mathis,
president, Lewis Ellis presided.
Among guests present were: Thomas
Harold and Herbert Kincey, OF
| Americas; and ]. A. Strayer, Of
Atlanta, who is traffic manager foa
| Ib5 short route railroads in the
South.
| Mr.. Strayer spoke to the Kiwan-
ims on THE Railroad Situation as
| We See IT, He said that the rail-
roads of the country were laying
all their cards ON the table admit
ting their failures of the past and
requesting fair show for the flu
ture in demonstrating their ability
to give real service to the nation.
| I'VE realize our failures and are
and have paid for them," the speak
er said, "and now that we are en-
| tering a. new era, we have alright
to demand of the business men OF
the country fair chance to show
our ability and our desire to serve.
'fAmerican's transportation prob
lens are Americas most important
question today Shippers are
claiming that freight rates are too
high and yet our earrings show that
they are not. In 1921 the railroads
of the country earned about 2 per
cent; in 1928 about per cent.
While we are guaranteed--an
are supposed to be guaranteed UNI
der the Federal transportation act
5.75 per cent net, we have not
earned that amount and there is
no provision made by Congress to
pay the difference when we fail
to earn that 5.5 per cent. In re-
atty there is no guarantee of earn
ings.
I we are bending every energy 70
give you proper and adequate SER
vice and all we ask is that Congress
let as alone long enough to show
that we are rendering service and
That we are not earning more than
we are entitled to earn as good
business proposition
| "To those who say rates are TOO
high, let ME cite few instances.
| The freight toll from Boston to
Americus on pair of shoes is S
cents; on suit of clothes, 10
! cents; on silk dress, 8 cents; "a
pounds of flour, on the everage,
leosts IL cents freight, and so on.
There are 100000 Americans
vino own stock in the railroads
wreck the roads and you wreck
| yourself.
Congress has put the railroads
to enormous cost in the valuation
proceeds which was brought on by
motion of Senator LaFolIette, who
said it would cost about s1s, 0o0,-
600, one half the cost to be borne
iby the government, the other by the
roads. In reality it has already
cost S85,000,00O to make these
valuations and it will be eight
months yet before they are com
pleted. Of this sum the railroads
have paid sixty millions and the
Federal government twenty five
millions" said the speaker.
The iwanis Club win dine as
club next Friday with the Geor-
sla Banker who will be here that
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