The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-06
FEE SYSTEM CAUSE OF LABOR TROUBLE
 IN WHOLE DISTRICT
Industrial Men Unanimous in Approval of Bowie's Plan
 for Reform
PRESENT SYSTEM TAKES
 MEN FROM THEIR WORK
Mccormack and Badham Think if Some. thing Is Not Done Birmingham Cannot Hope to Keep
 LabOrers Here

| Industrial men of Birmingham are very much interested in the proposed l law prepared by Sydney J. Bowie which is to reform the system of fees | in this county
 The plan of the proposed bill, as outlined by MT. Bowie. is reforma- tion of the system of fees here and not an abolishment of them. That fea- ture strikes the industrial men di- rectly and it may be depended upon that the class of men who own and operate the great public works of this district will aid and hope to see the reformation a success.
 In discussing the proposed fee sys- tenn reform industrial leaders said yes- terday it would solve 90 per cent of the labor problems of this district and give impetus to the various manufae- turing plants to extend their works further, knowing that in so doing the laborers and workmen will be pro- tected from the ravages of constables and others, whose activities are said to be only prompted largely in order that fat fees can be secured. In Birmingham there has been for the past several years a serious han dicap in the labor situation. The in dustrial men are forced to maintain large and expensive bureaus to get labor here and even with such organ ization 1t is difficult to retain laborers in this district The industrial lead CTS charge the fee system with being the greatest drawback to the solution of their labor troubles.
 Mccormack Discusses Bill In talking yesterday of the bill of MT. Bowie George B. Mccormack, prin. cipal owner of the Pratt Consolidated Coal company, and formerly for many years general manager of the Tennes- see company, said:
 q have no desire to offend anyone, or to say anything that might be of- fensive. However I cannot withhold my approval of the efforts of the press and others to reform the system of fees now prevailing here. We have terrible difficulties to overcome in getting men here and when we secure them on the works they do not stay once they come under the baneful op- eration of the fee system. The negroes employed around the mines and public works of this district should not be arrested for every little offense. If q negro shoots craps or engages in a little fisticuff he is at once raided by a body of officers and hauled to jail. He may be fined $5 However, the com- pany always pays him out, and if tn e raid should, as it more often does, re- suit in the arrest of several miners or drivers, the mines cannot work until we replace them or get the arrested offenders out of jail I have known our mines to be idle three days by such raids.
 When this Is over the negroes re- turn to work. At the end of few days pay day comes around and the negro is docked the amount paid out by the company for the fine. He can not understand figures perhaps and Is at once dissatisfied with the entire arrangement. The result is that he will leave the district with several friends
 Reflects on Intelligence
 "The entire system of fees in this county is many years behind progress sive times and should be completely abolished or reformed so as to not re- fleet upon the intelligence of this com- munity or drive the workmen away from this district. We have enoug1 trouble as it Is without handicapping us on the labor situation.
 "Another feature of affairs here is the cheapness of human life. In a raid negro starts to run and Is shot down by some officer. He probably had done nothing but shoot craps. His friends are incensed over his death and they leave the district. I do not wish to convey the impression that I believe lawlessness should prevail here. How ever. if we remove the fee incentive there would be less raiding and less loss of time from out mines. Shooting craps is bred into negroes and they should not be denied the minimum practice of such trifling pastime.
 Industrial Men Agree
 q do not think there are many indus trial men here who will disagree with me in saying that something should be done by this next legislature along the lines outlined by MT. Bowie, in his article in The Age-Herald. The situation of de- creasing labor is facing us when we start out to improve or to add to our plants, and 1t should be known all over the coun- try that no petty trifling thing like crap shooting will invoke several dollars in fines or any time in jail from the la borers.
 Our labor troubles cannot be due to wages, as the wages paid here are as good as anywhere. We voluntarily gave
 
 out for by the miners elsewhere at two separate times. The Steel corporation pays the same everywhere practically so the price paid worokmen does not en- ter into the discussion. The climate Is good and everything is encouraging to the workmen except this one drawback When we reform the fee system the stock of this district will go up nightly. For, after all if we do not have the humble common labOrer, however meaper his wages, we cannot run the great plants of this district"
 Henry, l.. Badhanr, president of the Bessemer Coal, Iron and Land company discussed the fee system along the lines of MT. Mccormack and added:
 Badham Calls It Pernicious
 "The bill drawn up by MT. Bowie to my mind suggests positive and thorough reformation of crying evil that is sap ping the lfe's blood of the district We should have a clean sweep of the fee grabbing system. The workmen of this district should not be hauled off to jail for some trife. I will recite case ger maine to the discussion:
 "A negro washwoman was in con- troversy with another negro woman. The case was simply one where negro would fall out with another and the result was warrants from each side. The case was so minor that the judge laughed at it's simplicity and assessed small fine of $1. Think of it, S1. That negro woman was told the costs were $75. and all the preachers and societies of the district could not keep that poor old negro woman from going to jail and spending several weeks in there for nothing.
 Tt is inhumane and a crying disgrace to this civilized community. We should