The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-05-10
BUSINESS MEN ARE MAKING 4 PROTEST Large Number of Them Against
 Projected Depot LETTER SENT 10 SPENCER Merchants Set Forth Their Reasons Wby They Do Not Wish Passen-
 ger Station to Be Built at
 Twenty-sixth Street.
LETTER SENT 10 SPENCER

A meeting of large number or mef- chants and business men was held in the Cable companys hall yesterday afternoon and a vigorous protest made against the building of a new union depot at Twenty sixth street.
 A letter was written and mailed to President Samuel Spencer of the South ern railway protesting and setting forth the reasons for the same. This letter was signed by nearly 200 business men of Birmingham.
 Vigorous resolutions were also adopted and a committee was appointed to take up the matter of new union passenger depot with the officials of the railroads entering Birmingham.
 The meeting was very enthusiastic and decided action was taken. The vigorous protest printed below means that the pro- posed new union passenger station is to be fought to finish
 The meeting was presided over by T. H. Motion, who made brief statement outlining the object of the same. lie said:
 "A few of the merchants and property owners of this city have for some little
  as to what could or should be done to protect established business and invest ments. which may be disturbed by the building of a passenger station some where on Twenty-sixth street, and hay ing more than one passenger depot in Birmingham. In this meeting there are democrats and republicans, but all are protectionlsts, so far as regards preserva- ton of property rights which we have.
 T am sure you will agree with me that much credit Is due the railroads in the development of this city but the railroads should not ignore the rights of the men who have established themselves in vari- ous lines around the one central point the present union depot.
 "rhe plan of acquiring property for the railroads, and for those who expect to get rich by the development of a new section has been engineered by some very shrewd men, and all sorts of views on the subject have been expressed.
 "To those who have been impressed with the argument that it will not affect the present business section, l want 10 say that such is a mistaken idea, if my opinon is worth anything; to those who have been impressed with the statement that it is too late to change the plans of the railroads l want to offer the hope that such Is not the case. It has been currenly rumored that MT. M. H. Smith, president of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad company, has issued an ultima tum to the other railroads that they must get out of his depot, and that he will not entertain any proposition to en- large the present deport, or to built a new one on his property; to this ] wish to say that 1 do not believe MT. Smith has gone so far, and that he will willingly treat with the officials of the other roads, If they have any desire to treat with him on the subject
 ITO encourage the hope that our inter ests may yet be protected, l will say that the railroads can not and will not ig- nore the wishes of such a representative body of men as are present in this room The will of the people can not and will not be ignored and over-ridden. and if the business men of this city will stand to- gether and insist upon one union depot, at a central point, I feel sure that the railroads will yet get together and build ore union passenger station, large enough for the present, and for years to come.
 "A few days since letter was address ed to MT. Samuel H. Spencer, president of the Southern Railway company, signed by many of our merchants and business men, and for the information of those who have not seen that letter, which em- braced strong appeal in behalf of one station, l wish to real the same to you.