The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-20

Speaking of damage suits," said Charles T. Fairbairn. district manager of the Republic Iron and Steel company, up in Pennsylvania the cases are light. We aren't troubled there as you are here Ill Alabama. For one thing, the judges as sume considerable responsibility in many instances. They take the cases right from the juries. The ambulance chaser doesn thrive, V know, on the Pennsylvania system.
 "Then, too, public sentiment is very much against thepersonal injury suit. In fact it isn't a problem there as it is in Alabama, Minnesota and few other states.
 "Conditions are bad In Minnesota, and in Ohio they're bad. One of the practices that has been more or less contagious, you might say, In the mining districts up there has been for certain of the miners to work in couples in a scheme to get the best of the companies.
 False Testimony
 "For instance, in the event of fall of ground in some sections where the men are working-resulting In injury to either and the ore being soft, falls are of ire cuent occurrence-two of the men will swear in court that the particular spot in question had just been inspected by the mine foreman or superintendent and pro- nounced safe, when, as matter of fact, the foreman might not have been in that rart of the mine at all on that day. The men themselves are responsible for the failure to timber properly.
 "The case then simply resolves itself into the verbal testimony of the men con- cerned There being two against one, the two frequently win out especially in the jury trial.
 q merely mention this as one of the most prevalent customs in Ohio and Min resota, one you run across over and over
 "It Is the policy of our company, as with the majority, I believe, to settle every case out of court If possible. No, there is no fixed basis All depends on the in- dividual case itself; on the liability, on conditions generally. There are no two alike And one thing. our men get the whole sum when it's due them Say, $500 for instance is settled on by man. We'll.
 
 $3OO out for attorneys fee.
 Claimant Gets His Due Tn so many damage suits the lawyer gets the lions share. And companies sim ply support personal injury lawyers. Per sonally, I believe in fighting fake claims in the courts right to a finish. But that's s expensive business. Many companies pre- fer simply from financial standpoint to settle any and all cases at any price \ sooner than go into the courts. Yes, of course, that encourages the hold-up game, but what are you going to do?' | Mr. Fairbairn, who succeeded w. A. Green last January as district manager | of the Republic upon MT. Greens resigna- | tion, is one of the most expert mining men in the United States. He enters the Birmingham district with spurs already won in the mining field and takes rank along with the industrial leaders here, emong whom are G. B. Mccormack, Cor don Crawford. H. S. Matthews. A.. H. Ford, Robert Jemison, Jr., Frank Crock ard J. c. Maben, J. w. Mcqueen, c. w. Lutz, James Bonneyman. Rick" Wood ward, w. H. Kettiz John L. Raul. Frank Nelson, Henry Badham. Jones G. Moore Erskine Ramsay and others.
 Optimistic Views of Birmingham
 "The possibilities of this district are said MT. Fairbairn. great. There's nc question about that. you know Why there are places not even explored yet I've always been a pretty strong believer in this country down here
 | MT. Fairbairn, while new in an execu' tive position here, and new man to the l Birmingham public, Is by no means stranger to the mining men of the BIT,