The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-08
Has Dry Reign Bet
 tered ConditiOnss
STUDENT FACES COMPLEXITIES
 IN THIS LINE OF INQUIRY
Different Opinions Expressed In
 Birmingham District.
Tormer Lieutenant Governor canniss- ham Gives 0ut Interview In Which He Claims Labor Conditions
 Have Been Betterea.
By CHARLES I. HAROLD.

By CHARLES !. HAROLD.
 Birmingham, Feb. 7--( Especial. )--Has : prohibition increased the efficiency oi labor? Has the reign of dry bettered the condition of the laborer? Has the wagA-earner actually profted by the removal of the open saloon. and has hts employer derived benefits thereby?
 It is an important phase of the eco- monies of the question. If the efficien- cy has been improved, if both 1aborer and employer have gained by prohibit tion, that remedy for the drink habit. 1t would seem has performed an in- portant service to this industrial com munity that Is not to be overlooked.
 Unfortunately, in this line of inquiry the student is also hedged about with complexities. The results must be ob- : tained from companions. The year of 1908, as has been already noted, was a panicky period. In 1t the operations were less in the varied industries of : this district. This makes evidence on this labor problem difficult to reach.
 One ordinarily would walk away from the infirmary of the congeniai Dr. R. M. Cunningham at Ensley convinced that labor conditions, beyond doubt, had been improved under prohibition. He admits that blind tigers exist. They exist Sin Ensley, he presumes. but he win not staffU for the indictment that
 
 city than in Birmingham. In this pa- triottc belief, however, he Is contra dicted by many who have observed tn- 7 stances in both municipalities. For in- stance, an esteemed and responsible employe of the Tennesse Coal, Iron and Railroad Company. liked his toddy. He visited Birmingham occasionally. and mixing with his friends. was invited in- to a soft drink stand. He got his high . ball all right. but it was mixed In dis gusting proportions with ginger als and other soft stalls.
 In Ensley this same young man ~Fe- ceives more considerate treatment. He walks into the place recently vacated by a saloon, now occupied by a soft drink dispenser, and, on caution to osen- Velop his small glass with his hand so as to hide the color of the contents has poured therein an exhiiiaTatinR finger of whiskBy. At f7rst he was in. of policemen stood near the counter. But his fears were alIayed when others entered the place and drank In theii presence.
 Nevertheless, the once acting Govern pr and proprietor of the big in- f1rmary, declares that violent accidents have decreased since prohibition went into effect. Ia may be said at the start that Dr. Cunningham in his medical precincts takes care of all the injured of the T. c. l.. the largest corpora- tion in the district and the State; rather ithe injured around the immense steel iplant of Ensley and the coal mines thereabout,
 "The wounded from gunshot, knife stabs and other mean of violent crisna have decreased ninety per cent under prohibition" declared the doctor. T had in my care in 1908 not more than one tenth of. the wounded cases that came the way of this shop in 1901"
 Major Accidental Injuries.
 But what the physician had next to say was more to the point. He con. tinued:
 "As for the serious or major acct. dental injuries in 1908 they were cousid. erably less than in 1907 and other years Amputations were decidedly fewer treatment of all serious accidents was less and if you care to know my bus. mess fell off appreciably last year."
 pr. Cunningham is a prohibitionist 1liss loss of business to the contrary notwithstanding.
 Further testimony out at Ensley rather qualities the conclusions thai may be reached by the interview with Dr. Cunningham
 One of the best salaried men in the employ of the T. CT. is H. M. Urban superintendent of construction at the immense plant of EnsTey, and chiei
 
 Railroad. the property of that corpora ton which practically encircles tho large coal and iron district. II one man knows labor of the kind that Is em. ployed here it perhaps should be Mir Urban. He has the management oi probably 1000 men. To convey an idea of his responsibility, Mir Urban, hay. Ing been in the district from the East about two years, has superlntended tht construction of probably $S,000,00( worth of works in connection with th' steel plant.
 Tt should be borne in mind" began MT. Urban, "that conditions in 1907 anG 1908 with reference to labor are not Al for comparison. There was more con. struction in 1907 than in the succeed ing year. There was less activity around our plant last year than th' year before. The panic had It's influ ence on our department Consequent Iy there was bound to be proportionate ly a smaller number of accidents ii 1908 than in the previous year.
 Besides. we are sparing no money t' get the best safety equipment to b. found in the world. There is a safet, department here that is concerned ex ciusively in bringing to the plant thu most effective appliances to be hat which will diminish accident and makt work in this business less hazardous have before me now an order fol safety appliances that will cost thous ands of dollars You would have fount the safety of the empIoye in 1908 mucl better than in 1907.
 "As for increasing the efficiency o labor in my department, am not abl' to say that such has been the case. Yol 70 know that on account of the panic W, were able to hire hrst-class labo cheaper than in 1907. That eliminated a big quota of the reckless and cara less laborevs. Better men took the plae' of the men of 1907 at the same wager That may account for the decrease il accidents taken. as I say. in connection with the increasing search fo safety appliances and the shut-dowl time of last year"
 MT. Urban expressed some doubt a to the batterment of the IaboTtng man condition on account of the alleged in ferIOr quality of booze which He migh buy from blind tigers. That woul' likely impair permanently his healtl and therefore his productiveness.
 It was learned that MT. Urban T an advocate of high license and wei rous,faFad aa1onuE