The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-09
B. R.,L.&P: CO. WILL
IGNORE PROTESTS
Stated They Deny Authority
of City Commission
WANT "A FAIR TEST"
Ensley Man Gives His Objections to
Pay-as-you-ente System-States
"Jim Crow. Law Will Cover
the Subject

The filing of protests before the city
commission against the new system OF
fare collection being inaugurated by the
Birmingham Railway. Light and Power
company will avail nothing
1t was stated yesterday that the COM
pany is not seeking trouble with the city
commission or its patrons, but on the con-
trary desires the most cordial cooper
alton in local matters, but that that desire
should not convey tho impression that the
company recognizes the power of the COM
mission to regulate it's system OF collect
ing fares. AS a matter of fact it was
said the company does not recognize such
authority on this part of the commission
and will not hesitate to place the pre-
payment system into effect
1t is believed by the street car officials
that a fair test of the improvements of
fered will be shown so efficient that the
commissioners and the patrons will not
carry further the preliminary protests. As
stated, many cities of the south have the
| same system.
In this connection 1t was announced that
the Avenue = line anu lnb 1ditNiiu ililt
will be placed ON the prepayment plan,
starting this morning. The new system
| has been ON the Avondale-Fountain
| Heights line one week. The next line will
| perhaps be the Norwood and Fifteenth
street line, when improvements In Nor
wood permit the two lines TO be tied to-
gether as are the North and South High
lands at this time.
The following letter was received yester.
day:
TO the Editor of The Age-Herald;
Please allow me d few lines in your
valuable columns to express my views on
the -you-enter ears of the Brming
ham Railway, Light and Power company
and the Jim Grow law. There are a great
many non-residents of the state of Ala
| bama who would Hike to bury this law
that the true, red hlooded people put in
our state code by an overwhelming ma
jority years ago This is a state law, and
1t has never been repealed. do not know
| whether the city council OF Birmingham
ever passed an ordinance to prohibit white
and eolored from riding In the same cars
! without partition, as this is a state law.
| and does not apply To the cities. But the
| city of Birmingham has the power to
pass a law to the same effect as our
state laws.
| If Birmingham has Jim Crow law.
| someone of authority has sat by and
| watched this law willfully violated every
day for the past SIX years.
Now. | am not, nor are the people. fight
! ing the Birmingham Railway. Light and
Power company's pay as-you-enter sys-
| tenn, but we propose to have a respectable
| way Of transportation. | am surprised at
| the Birmingham Railway. Light and
Power companya tryng to force the white
and colored to enter the same doors and
pass through the same aisles together.
The colored people themselves are op-
| posed to it.
We are law abiding citizens. and IL this
evil is forced upon US who will have 10
suffer-
The honest hands of toll made this COM
pany and are still making 1t. Now is 1t
| right that we have to accept this condi-
| ton at their command? l will leave this
| for the public to answer. 1t Is not right
| to force a condition on the public that
will cause untold trouble, just for the
sake of few dollars. Especially where
the public pays for it.
! 1t will be remembered that the first
| move that the above mentioned company
made toward doing away with the Jim
| Crow law was to take out the doors in
| the partitions. and no one raised any howl
| about this. The next move was to tear
down the partitions and put up another
| one on the back of the seats, and no one
raised a howl about this. Then the next
| thing was to take down that b1uff and
put up the boards. some of which have
| seen marked ''colored' on both sides, and
| the average person had to guess which
end of the car-to take and be contented.
| Now, this system, which they have on
the Fountain Heights and Avondale lines
will not work on the Ensley lines. where
number of both white and black have to
ride standing.
Mr. Ford said in the Sunday morning
issue of The Age-Herald: Please do not
think that our company is in business for
health" / am sure that the public will
heartily agree with him, especially so II
they will only recall the dusty conditions
that existed on his lines last summer.
| Mr.. Ford said further: There has been
| no objection made TO me In regard to this
system" And doubt II any objections
| Will be made to him. as we have "A law
| and an enforcer of rhe law that we can
| lay our case befoSe.
O. +. STAFFORD.