The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-27
MANY INTERESTS
FIGHT THE BILL
Sunday Freight Law Grows in
UnpopuIarity
KNOWN MEN TALK
Injury Would Not only Result to In
dustriaI Interests, But Agricultural
Sections Would Suffer If
Bill Becomes Law.

The railroad trainmen of the Birming-
ham district are going to fight the bill
pending in the legislature to prevent the
operation of freight trains on Sunday.
except when loaded with perishable
goods.
While no movement has yet been made
to that end. the trainmen have been dis
cussing the matter among themselves
and 1t is probable that some action will
be taken by the various employees within
the next two or three days
1t was stated yesterday that the en-
gineers, conductors. fagmen, firemen,
brakemen and switchmen were almost
unanimously against the bill.
T. s. Pound an engineer on the Lou
isville and Nashville, and an active man
In all such matters, said yesterday that
SO far as he was concerned, and he be-
lieved so far as all engineers were con-
cerned, they were against the bill. In
speaking of the matter he said:
1.-The trainmen, l believe, will fight the
bill, and for several reasons. For one
reason it will tend to decrease the wages
Vi the engineers 9oo VI 9fO IL ihoiibhs II
will lay them off for practically thirty
six hours every week, and sometimes
there are five Sundays in the month,
which would be a serious thing for
many engineers.
I'VE could not work for twenty-four
hours if the bill were passed, and if we
were out on runs we would be thrown
out of five or six hours other work. We
have not taken this matter up in any
official manner as yet, but some of the
boys have been discussing 1t among them
selves.
Would lnjure Entire State.
another thing that should be consid-
cred. 1t would materially injure the
Birmingham district and the entire state.
We can barely move all the business
offered now when we are allowed to OPP
crate trains for the full seven days. With
only six days 1t would cripple the rail-
roads. the Industries, the entire state and
everything else.
'aThey quote the Georgia law as an In
stance, but the cases are not parallel.
Georgia does not have the tonnage to
move that we have; her conditions are
entirely different; she does not have the
big industrial plants to feed daily; In
fact Georgia could not be compared to
Alabama in the railroad world, for our
conditions are essentially different.
Il think of another thing also. If
this law was passed it would mean that
that railroads would have to employ
many additional engineers, and, of course
other trainmen, and there would proba-
bly, be twice as many names on the bull
Ietin boards, which would mean that we
would go out on our runs less frequently
and make less money.
"rhe trainmen are against this matter
for those and other reasons. We have
not had any conference with any super
intendents or anyone else We would
hardly consult them, but we act indie
pendently in such matter ana look out
after the interests of the engineers.
at cannot imagine OF anything that
would hurt the Birmingham district and
thereby the state of Alabama more than
the passage of the bill to prevent the
operation of freight trains on Sunday
said Maben Hobson, a large coal opera
tor yesterday. ut would mean death to
the coal industry in the state, which Is
its largest industry. 1t would cripple all
the industries-in fact, do more harm
than 1 can tell.
"The coal mines are the largest indus
try of Alabama. They employ great
number of men and represent millions OF
money. If this bill were to become
law it would make it impossible for the
coal operator to make any money. For
six months we have not been able to
make money on account of the inability
of the railroads to furnish us with equip
ment and this inability to move the
trains after the cars are loaded. With
any legislation tying them up worse we
would be helpless.
"As It is, under present conditions Sun
day is our day of relief. On that day
the mines are cleared up so that we can
commence work on Monday morning, for
miners will not go to work Monday UNI
less the mines are clear and there is
supply of cars. The railroads have the
chance on Sunday to clear the mines and
enable us to start Monday.
IF this bill becomes law we will not
be able to work more than four days in
the week, If that many Few miners VIII
work on Saturday; they cannot work on
Sunday. and If the railroads were tied up
on Sunday it would kill us for another
day"
Hurts Agricultural Sections.
Nothing could be more injurious to
the state of Alabama than the passage
of the bill preventing the operation of
freight trains on Sunday said w. +. G.
Harding, president of the First National
bank. "Our bank has sent letters to our
business connections in the state in re-
gard to this natter. and we did not treat
the subject from the standpoint of the
Birmingham district. but from the point
Of views of the farming and agricultural
sections of the state.
mould moan untold loss m Ala