The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-26
TO THE CITIZENS F. OF BIRMINGHAM

Three thousand heads of families of the citizens of Birmingham protest against the enactment of section five of an ordinance known as number 50, the ti- tie of which is: An ordinance establishing and regulating markets, providing for the appointment of a market master and de- fining his duties.
 Section five of this ordinance makes it unlawful for any person having articles of marketing for sale to obstruct or otherwise occupy any public street, alley or public ground in the city for such sale during the market hours hereinbe- fore established which hours are from a. m., to 10 a. m., by fruit and vegetable peddlers as has heretofore been done.
 The fruit and vegetable peddlers do not protest against the establishing of a. pub lie market, but they do protest against that part of the ordinance which will prohibit and prevent them from selling their produce In the manner that they have heretofore done, and will prevent the purchasing of produce from them by the ordinary family within those hours
 Their contentious are that the avera ge family uses only small quantity of pro- duce per day. and it would be great disadvantage to these families who use only a small amount of produce per day to have to necessarily send to the pub lie market and purchase such produce losing the necessary time, and being oblig- ed to pay car fare for the purpose of purchasing such produce.
 It can be readily seen that the house. wife who only consumes from 10 to 15 cents or 70 cents worth of produce day would be compelled to pay the additional sum of 10 cents car fare for the pur- pose of purchasing such produce. and to loss of servants time for an hour or more Tor such purchase. Then again the housewife who is not so fortunate as to have servant, would be compelled to leave her house or do without such nro- duce.
 IL IS not the contention of the peddlers that market be not established, but it IS thelr contention that every person be given the privilege of exercising his or or her own will and discretion as 10 where they will buy, when they will buy, and now they Will buy their produce Their further contention is that by allowing them to proceed and sell their produce in the manner as heretofore has been done. no person can or will be injured because of the following facts The public market Will De here and any person could exer- else his or her own discretion, and if they saw fit they could purchase from the ped dler, who brings his produce to their front doors at the time needed at most reason able prices, or otherwise they could ex- ercise their discretion and purchase from the market, but that it is a most harsh rule that will allow them only to peddIe their produce after the hours of 10 in the morning, and they claim that if this or dinance is carried into effect. it will not only injure them. and entirely do away with their business which they consider a rightful and just one, but will work a great injury to the average consumer and benefit to none.
 They realize that the average citi zen has given no attention to this ordi- nance, and for that reason this arti- cle and these facts are brought to their attention with request that they give them due consideration.
 This ordinance, as the reader will ob- serve, will work a great hardship on people in this class ofbusiness Think for a moment of the seriousness of the situation. Here is a man who has es- tablished certain business, with cer- tain assured customers. This is his only means of livelihood. By this ordinance this means of livelihood is suddenly, and without notice to him, taken away from him. He is doubtless a man with no Income, end if his daily bread is suddenly taken away from him 1t means more to him than one can imagine. This class ofj people have spent their time in establish -ng this business, and the little savings in -Tl the business, and to have this, their all. | at once taken from them seems almost starvation for the immediate future, un- til they can establish some other means of earning livelihood. This ordinance also has q great tendency to dscour- age trucking and truck farmers The | farmer cannot sell his produce to his | regular customers nor can anyone liv- ing within the city limits buy any sort | of fruits or vegetables from any farm | CT unless such citizen goes to the farm er's house or farm or to the public | market therefor. In other words, the l farmer will be prevented from selling | his produce before the hour of 10 a. m. to any citizen within the city linn it's, except at the public market.
 Viewing this ordinance in its en- tlrety. 1t seems that 1t will work a | great hardship and injustice on thej truck farmers peddlers aud the aver ego consumer. '~7 zee |