The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-05-06
PROTESTS AGAINST
 PROPOSED ACTION Motion Urges That Mat
 thews Be Retained LOCKHART'S LETTER
Emphasizes Influence Fight Between Union and NOnunion Labor Had on Testimony at the Probe.
 Commissioners Reticent

The influence of the fight between organized labor and nonunion men in the Steele-Smith wall disaster probe is emphasized in @ letter to the city com mission yesterday from H. A. Locllhart. president of the Builders Exchange.
 The commission also received a let ter yesterday from T. H. Motion well known real estate man, stating that of Building Inspector Matthews by Commissioners Weatherly and Lane n grave injustice and asking that they reconsider their opinions
 The commissioners declined to give any information yesterday as to who MT. Matthews successor would be- stating that the subject had not been considered yet directly or indirectly They declined to discuss also the prob ability of a reconsideration of the yer dict against MT Matthews, concern ming which there has developed already con- siderable disapproval on the part of citizens.
 LOckhart's Letter
 MT. Lockhart's letter is as follows:
 Birmingham, May A. 1915. ''Hcnorable City Commissioners of
 Birmingham, Ala:
 "Gentlemen-I regret that absence from the city prevented my getting and answering your summons to attend the probe of the Steele-Smith disaster. bur l have kept up with the trend of tho evidence as reported in the daily press. Anyone who has had any connection with the labor proposition in this dis trict for the past few years cannot bu. see the undercurrent of the organized laborers' fight on the general con- tractors of this city. who have stead Hastily refused to Give obeisance to their organization, preferring to oper- ate their business in an independent manner in the true American way, and for that reason too much weight can- not be given to the criticism and tes- timony given by these parties who have sworn together against all par ties who do not recognize union labor l attach hereto clipping from the Labor advocate of last week. whi oh is the official organ, of organized tabor which l think bears out the facts given above. Respectfully submitted.
 HI A. LOCKHART, President"
 Letter From Motion
 Birmingham. May B. 1915. Honorable City Commissioners Birming- ham, Ala:
 Gentlemen: Tn the name of justice I appeal to you to reconsider your de- cision in the case of temporary enraged public sentiment vs. W. O. Matthews, building inspector My interest in this case has been sec- ond only to that of the families of the unfortunate victims and those who suf- fered a financial loss in the accident which snuffed out the lives of eight people | 1 read every particle of the testimony published in our papers from day to day, and as disinterested party endeavored to ana1yze the testimony and come to fair conclusion as to whose fault it was, and who should, if any one be punished Summing up all of the evidence, my conclusions were that it was horrible mistake to have left the wall standing, but for the life of me I could not place the blame on any one
 Is it too much to ask Commissioners Lane and Weatherly to reconsider their decision? I would file with them as SUD- port for this proposition the very able opinion handed down by Chief Justice Ward I cannot well understand how you associate justices can read the opin- ion of MT. Ward. which Is complete and fair resume of the facts and testimony. | and not reverse your decision It would be no more reflection upon you than 1t is ] for the supreme court of Alabama to