The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-12
321 So. 10th Street, Birmingham, Ala

l not a d. bit of good-think I'll trade lit off to Shook"
 | So he did. But that's another story I Enough to say the electric railway sys- tenn here has grown from nothing into Its present stage. And 1t needs-and deserves-the interest and co-opera- tion of the citizens it serves It is not just or fair that 1t should be held up at every stage of the game.
 There Are Also Others All traction companies and railroads have to suffer. Certain statistics slst | received for the Age-Herald from inc law department of the Frisco Railroad Tor the month of October 1910, give some idea of the immense amount of ,t- igation involved n the operation of a big railroad system
 1 The summary of the great sheet skows that the number of cases pending on October 1 was 1924 involving the amount cf $7,102,S9 Cases instituted during he enc month were 134. amount claimed Ssl3,- 61. Cases disposed of during Octoaer were 153. amount claimed s6ic,4 ,452 Cases pending at November were 1205, amount claimed s7,266,5S1.
 Interstate Commerce Business
 In addition to these there were left pending November l. 1910 1R interstate commerce commission cases.
 The amount paid out was s26,75i. The cost of litigation was $s2,6s. Mileage concerned is 54S3 and cost Der milo 6.J1
 Figures like these make business men stop and think. Legal costs to he m;,in- tained in operating a railroad system or an industrial company are sornothing indeed stupendous.
 Concerned in the cost of litigation are witness fees and expenses, focal attor- neys' fees and expenses, judgments, court costs, settlements prior to judgment i,is- cellaneous, mileage and cost per rnilc
 Every corporate interest m Birming- nam is subject to the same trouble
 If there is oppression or injustice on ihe part of the corporate interests against the people they would be subject to equal condemnation, as matter of course.
 An Appalling State of Affairs
 Said J. C. Maben, president of the Sloss- Sheffield Steel and Iron company: .'The number of groundless damage suits we have in Birmingham shows shocking state of affairs. Other cities don't stand for it. Why, the foolish trivial cases-- they're endless, endless.
 They take up so much time, apart from the expense of the thing. Our men are being constantly summoned into the courts, taken from their work at the
 
 They get to the courthouse case post poned. Come tomorrow at Il o'clock they're told. And again and again the same thing. man loses money and time and the company loses. And tha city loses, too, in the long run.
 Our company has on an average about should say one damage suit 8 day. great many are settled out. of court Do we have any fake cases among them Well, rather. should say so.
 A Trumped Up Claim
 One particular case l recall happened not long since. The body of an unknown man was found lying near the Louisville and Nashville track and in close prox- unity to the furnaces. He wasn't an cmploye of our company or the Louisville ! and Nashville either. Evidently just some tramp or other fallen. perhaps, off an about the accident. No one could Identify the man. Afs3ft4
 Some days after he was buried suit for s20,Oo0 was Instituted against both the railroad company and our company by d certain lawyer here, pretty well known in | life business.
 After we inquired of this lawyer how 1e found out the mans name he of- l fered to compromise the case for So0O. | Wo refused that, and pressed our point. | That fellow, you know, didn't have any l moro idea of the dead mans name thon | we did. Nobody knew. How could they | know? Neither did anyone know whether | he was killed at our plant or by the railroad, or whether or not his body was 1ragsed there There wasn't single wit | ness.
 "At last the lawyer told us he'd come