The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-23
SAYS ALLEN TRIES 7 ID SHIFT BLAME FOR WALL HORROR Secretary McClurg of Build ing Trades Council Writes
 Letter on the
 Subject

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 The Birmingham Building Trades coun- ell resents the implication of Mir. c. M. Allen in his statement to The Age-Her- ald of the 17th, that the wall of the Steele Smith building was blown up by organized labor. It s said that drowning men grab at straws, and this Is just the position that Contractor c. M. Allen finds himself in today, when he implies that agents of organized labor had blown up the wall to wreak vengeance on nonunion con- tractors and architects, who had passed on the safety of the structure, and 1t would seem that it is the only straw left to grab at, for as a matter of record the majority of the builders and architects. who testified before the commission, testified in unmistakable terms that they considered the walls unsafe.
 So it would seem that MT. Allen Is try ing to divert the attention of the public from the findings of the coroner's jury by insinuating that the wall may have been blown up by agents of organized labor, and to further agitate the public by dragging organized labor into the lime light in order that their attention may be diverted from the real issue. And not being satisfied with his many insInua- lions against organized labor, in order to clear himself of this awful responsibility that rests on him, by using such express sions as 'it is generally believed that one of MT. Jacobs duties as Il leader of the organized building trades, is not only to blame, but indict and convict and, if necessary, to destroy all men and their or+t 1 l,f f11 h,i Foi, methods. and my opinion is that had the building been continuously guarded for the last two months or more this wall would have been standing today but he goes on the outside and compares this calamity to the great malicious tragedy that every true member of or ganized labor deplores as much as any people in the United States. This is an example of the real farce in MT. Allen 5 contention in trying to justify himself in the eyes of the public for a great tragedy for which, 1t seems, that MT. Allen is more responsible than any one person. Organized labor would like for MT. Allen to point out one man, woman child, who is not writhing under the fearful re- sponsibility of this great crime, in Jeffer- son county who would be willing to even intimate that they believe any person whomsoever had anything whatever to do with blowing up this building. Then this naturally suggests the question, Is Mr Alien an example of the men who lay so many crimes at the feet of organized labor?
 It has become matter of comm on knowledge that Mr. Allen is one Of the principal men upon whom pub lie opinion places the responsibility of this great lfnca1led for tragedy and it is well settled in the minds Of the public that for the sake of little graft, which went no one will pos sibly ever know where, that wall was left standing under the advice and sanction of Mir. Allen after the insur- ance had been settled for it mot onty as fa total loss but s10DO estfnia e6 in the loss for the purpose of tearing down the wall.
 If Mr. Allen is so grounded in tho principles of fairness in his fight or organized labor, ict him demonstrate some of his fairness by coming acros.