The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-10-21
CHAMBER STARTS WAR ON FEES FOR
 GOOD OF THE CITY Motion Makes Keynote Speech Urging Better Protec-
 tion for Labor
NOT ENOUGH HERE
 TO RUN THE PLANTS
Chamber of Commerce Will Take Up Subject Which Is Regarded as of Most Vital Importance to
 the Whole State

Alleging that the fee system Is demor- alizng labor in Jefferson county to a fearful extent, and declaring that the abolition of the fee system, the passage Of laws and in every other way aiding the legitimate development of the corpor- atlons, and trading at home to be three essentials in the further growth of Bir- mingham, the Chamber of Commerce de- clded last night to see that all three are accomplished.
 President A H. Ford was authorized to appoint a committee of five to prepare the necessary bills and carry the matter before the legislature. The lack of skilled and even common labor in the Birming- ham district, even though 45 per cent of the industries are not running, was at tributed by prominent citizens to the fec system and the manner in which deputy sheriffs swoop down on labor camps, hauling off hundreds of negroes and for eigners on the petty charge of playing craps or cards.
 Notions Keynote Speech
 T. H. Motion, member of the legis- lature, made the keynote speech of the biettitiB, WHICH IS given DclOW III Iuii. He was followed by W w. Crawford, who said that there is no doubt but that Birmingham is losing labor, and insisted that if the laws are wrong they should be lighted If we will all work together We can pull Birmingham up to where she should be-the largest city In the south, :" he said.
 E. Wilkerson said that Birmingham's s growth has been due to her natural re- al aF h oif zens. What we do in the next ten years depends very largely upon the efforts of our corporations to make into finished products the iron which we have been blasting.'' He emphasized the wonder ful victory of Birmingham in having de- feated every other city in the United States in her growth, in free for all contest in the most prosperous country In the world. "I am ready to fight for any law for the legitimate development of our corporations. We must get poli- tics out of the way, forget past differ ences, for only until we weld all inter ests into one purpose can Birmingham realize her possibilities.
 He also stressed the importance of u lading at home. Tt will make better citizens of every one of us." he said.
 Governor JeIISs' Views
 Former Gov. W. D. Jelks said: NO community can grow successfully unless 1t has the community spirit. Tht old Ro- mans went out to war with their shields locked together, forming solid front.
 Tn allowing the enemy the use of our money and the compound interest on 1t, we are building up other cities. The man who will forget his home friends to trade with a foreigner Is not friend, but an enemy to his community.
 "The average member of this Cham Der of Commerce does not know what we produce in Bir1ningham-that Is our greatest drawback. 1t would appall you If you could see how much money goes out of Birmingham which should stay at home. We seem to have no confidence in the character of the men who make things here and have no respect for the work of our own hands"
 Governor Jelks characterized the fee system as a monstrous iniQuity, giving incidents where crap shooters had been fined 10 days for the offense and given 1So days to pay the costs. He said the sys- tenn should certainly be repealed.
 Henin Called Upon
 Solicitor II. P. Hefiin was called upon, and declared that the fee system is at the bottom of the numerous arrests; that If it did not exist not half the arrests would ever be made.
 His opinion on craps shooting was that 1t Is the most innocent, harmless amuse- ment a negro can engage In, that 1t is not 0 crime, and they should be all lowed to enjoy themselves. He told how deputy sheriffs swoop down on contrac- tors camps Saturday nights, arrest the whole force for craps shooting and haul them to jail leaving the work to suffer, and the contractor in straights for la bor .If we could get rid of this fee system we would have more arrests made for real offenses and less for frivolous charges" said Mir. Hef1in.
 Maj. w. J. Milner indorsed the fight be- ing made on the fee system. and for the trading at home principles. He gave some interesting "reminiscences of the found- ing of Birmingham by the Elyton Land company.
 John H. Adams pointed to the fact that with 45 per cent of the industries here shut down there is still shortage of labor. He told of incidents where the arrests of negroes and foreigners for gam ing had cut the output of certain indus tries and declared that five manufactur- ing plants had been lost by Birmingham because they were afraid they couldn't get skilled labor. c. D. Ritter urged the importance of having constitutional bill drawn and backed by the whole city in order to defeat the organized sheriffs.
 mrs MOItOM SYcmkb
 On motion of Major Milner Mir Ford was authorized to appoint the commit tee to prepare needed legislation. Here is MT. Notions address:
 MT President: Having resided here for 24 years on the 18th day of this month, I have had the opportunity of seeing Birmingham grow from the village class to a city of at least 10000, and possibly 150,000 population.
 'In declaring that we have at least 140,000 souls residing within the corporate limits of Greater Birmingham, I speak advisedly and somewhat understandingly, for 1t will be remembered that just after the census was taken our president re- ported to this chamber that a casual in- vestigation made by him showed some thing like 12 per cent of the people had not been enumerated. A committee was appointed, of which I was member, to investigate the matter and we soon be- came convinced that there were many escapes, but came to the conclusion, and so reported, that 1t was not tho fault of the supervisor or the enumerators, but due to the perverseness and inffirence of many of our citizens, who should have taken an interest in having the census properly taken.
 asome of our neighbors have correctly charged that our increase in population within the old lines of Birmingham was not 245.4 per cent from 1900 to 1910. but they will scarcely dispute the fact that we have a population of 132,6S5 or more within the limits of what is now and should have been Birmingham years ago. This is sufficient for us, at least for