The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-31
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Some Needed Laws in Alabama

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
In your paper of March p | notice
letter from Mr. D. B. Grace. entitled
Three Changes in Existing Laws That
Should Be Made The letter in part re-
fers to taxes and states there seems
to be no way at present TO get at the
man who owns personal property and no
real estate, and Mr.. Grace suggests to
change the law SO that when man pays
his poll tax the tax collector can swear
him as to his personal property and in
that way collect tax on MS personal prop
erty.
] would suggest would it not occur that
If such a change in laws was made a
large percentage of the men who now pay
poll tax would simply discontinue, or not
pay poll tax and the school fund would
suffer?
AS a second item. Mr. Grace states
that when a man is killed by corporation
several women claim damages as common
law wives, and if a man is killed by the
Louisville and Nashville railroad, then
five women show up; il killed by the Bir-
mingham Railway, Light and Power COM
pany four show up; if killed by mining
company three show up and so on.
This may be the case in few in
stances when negroes are killed, but as a
whole | doubt the truthfulness Of his
statement very much. Besides this, COR
porations, excepting few, make it a
practice to deceive and beat the people
out of their just claims, and they have
no limit at which they stop. The public
has no idea to what these corporations
resort to gain claims or lawsuits re-
gardless of the fairness. AS beginning
the employe who is present or has any
thing TO do with an alleged accident must
necessarily make all reports and state
ments in favor of the corporations, and if
he does not do so he gets discharged.
The corporation will soon find fault with
him and freeze him out; many times ac-
cuse him of something. If these corpora
tions would resort TO more honest and
reasonable treatment L am sure they
would fare much better, and prejudice
would subsde
AS third item Mr.. Grace wants the
public to make heavy bond before suing
q corporation; that is unfair and unneces-
Nsary. corporation accepts pay for
which ii agrees to perform certain service
vice as obligated it should be severely
dealt with il 1t carelessly or willfully fails
to perform that certain service. For an
example, / relate corporation hires men
and women. 1t pays them a small salary,
1t dictates to these employees what 1t
wants performed, the employees may do
their utmost to comply but some officer
or foreman. sometimes inexperienced,
holds that the employe did not do the
service as desired or often other things
The officer or foreman discharges said
to deprive the employe of a livelihood or
living for himself or family Many times
little children are caused 10 have TO
suffer by these acts. And the only ex-
cuse the officer or foreman has is he or
the corporation is held responsible for the
condition by the public, the foreman is
not mentioned; therefore, If ii is just and
right for the corporation to deprive an
employe from an income to support his
course. then II should be law that when
a corporation accepts pay for perform
ing certain service and fails to perform
that service satisfactory. it should moi
only be subject to damages, but should
likewise be deprived of an existence, just
like 1t attempts to deprive an employe
In other words. the corporation hires mer
10 do something, and an individual hires
the corporation to do something both are
entitled to satisfactory service.
Corporations are what they make them.
selves. If they try or do deal unfairly