The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-08-11


 We who are seeking to get better rates for domestic consumers of electrici ty in Birmingham have by no means given up hope,'' said Sol Caheen yester- day. Some people seem to think I have personal motive in agitating this ques- tion, but this is far from the truth. an simply an individual citizen-a consumer of electricity, and I believe our people are paying exorbitant rates as compared with. other cities.
 ''It may be that the aldermen can look after the city's interest and get a good rate on arc lights, but no one ever seems to have anything to say in behalf of the everyday citizen. I want to see electric rates cheaper for boarding houses. fo1 the day laborer, for the man of family who is working on salary
 'The Board of Trade action, taker Tuesday, was simply case of being dou- ble crossed. The meeting was packed We had no show. There were men there who had not been to Board of Trade meeting in six months. There were mer present and voting whom II dd not ever know were members of ie Board ol Trade. There were men g esent who had not paid any dues in a ear. Somebody simply went out and rounded them up and as a result we were helpless.
 "It may be that the Birmingham Rail- way, Light and Power company has been able to get control of the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Mems league the City Council, and lastly the Board of Trade, but I still believe there are 6 few individual citizens in Birmingham oi whom the company has not secured con trol, and I am one of them. We will keep up our fight to get lower rates, and I warn them that there is time coming when they will find g. whole lot of Bf. mingham citizens who are still independ ent enough to speak their minds.
 Plain Business Man
 'I know nothing of parliamentary law am a plain business man and scarcely know what they were doing at the Boart of Trade meeting with their substitutes, their lay on the tables,- and their ore vious questions
 What possible reason is there wh, those present should have refused to lis ten to the reading of reports from othe cities on rates charged in those cities fol electricity? The only reason I can SC, is that a certain set of men is in con trol who do not want any unpleasant in formation. They are all powerful now and are having things their own way but there will come a time of reckoning if they don't watch out The people o1 this town will stand only a certain amon V of that sort of tactics.
 we will go ahead in our small way and do what we can to get reduction 1T domestic rates, although the task now looks hopeless.
 Hugo Marx Talks
 "It was a case of simply being TUT over and stamped upon,'' said Hugo Marx. referring to the Board of Trade meeting. Tt looks as though any task is hopeless in Birmingham where the in terests of the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company are at stake There are more wires that can be pulled thar I had ever dreamed of. We are grad ually finding out a few things, and if they carry matters too far some of it will look very unpleasant in print in the near flu ture. We will stand good deal, but WIG don't propose to be run over forever.
 Some people wonder why some mer. chants are opposing reduction and others are working for it. I will tell you. It is because some merchants are getting ar extra discount of 15 per cent on theil bills, and they don't like to say anything We don't want to participate in any suct favoritism. We want to be put on the same basis as the rest of the people oi the community. We don't want any Il per cent hush money. We want a gen. eral reduction, the benents or which VII be felt by every consumer of electric current in Birmingham from the highest to the lowest.
 ''lt looks like we are defeated, but after all we can put the matter squarely up to the City Council. We know that botf the city code and city charter give tn. city authority to fix the rates. and Ii nothing is done it can be placed squarely at the door of the council. It is up to them.
 And we may yet find 1t necessary te bring to the peoples attention some facts about the members of this council whic, will throw some light on the cause oi their actlon."