The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-04-18

among the palatial homes of the ex-
governors and to the very portals OF
the Phoenix club itself. All for )
cents, O the pirate. For the same
Tide of only about five minutes in
taxi the same Irishman would have to
pay the price of half a days labor with
the pick, but the taxi is no pirate. No,
it Is not fair. The aforesaid Irishman
should have boarded street car at
Park er's corner and had the nerves
pounded out of him as the car wen-
over the railroad crossings, or extract
ed from him, tweezer-llse. by the I'M
earthly screeching of unlubricated
brakes That would be fairness in
deed and many members of the Cham
Der of Commerce and Rotary club, with
tranquil, plush-covered, spring sea ted
nerves, owning from one to several
cars each, and rarely ever patronizing
the street car, would probably so tes-
tify. The other thing is always good
enough for the other fellow when you
yourself have the better thing.
Courtesy of Jitney Drivers
| have been astounded at the almost
universal courtesy and accommodates
extended by these jitney drivers. they
VIII stop anywhere to take you on,
they will put you off anywhere in the
block, and if good excuse is offered
out of their way and off their route
and | have known them to spurn tip,
and refuse an extra fee, and squabbles
with passengers are unknown L ar
IDENTIFY advocate the jitney, not for any
one class of citizens. but for all, pro-
fessional people. laborng folks, bust
ness men and women, clerks and shop
pers and the man who owns his own
car can often very profitably in bad
weather leave his car at home ard
catch jitney. and this would relieve
some of the auto congestion" in the
downtown district and reduce the cost
Of operation and wear and tear on
said owners said car l hope the COM
mittee VIII ask every citizen appear
ing advocating prohibitive taxation
and unbearable regulation of jitneys
becarse they are pirates" and .un-
fair. how many cars have you and
1 how often do you ride the street cars?
Really the laboring man should
strongly favor the jitney for the time
may come when it will aid him in one
of his most Unsuitable desires. So far
as my personal friendship is concerned
l am just as friendly to the street ca
company as ] am to the jitney, for
many people prefer the street car and
at times / do myself, but if the time
has come for it to surrender its mon
opoly in the onrush of progressiveism
changes and conditions, it should &C.
cept the situation without whimper
and make the best of a situation that
| is beyond its control.
Your laxative committee is not con-
cerned with regulation. but when the
regular committee shows itself I will
write them how to regulate them. Ev-
eryone doing business on the streets
should be taxed. reasonably but no.
prohibitively, even if the business does
compete with others in the same line
of business endoavor.
Tax them moderately at first with
such increase in the future in accord
ance with the public needs, as equality
and equity and justice will permit,
but pray, do not monopolize a mon
opoly by legalizing a competitor that
| you in the next breath put out of ex-
istsnce by prohibitive taxation and i'm
possible or unbearable regulation. The
| jtneys friends, and they are legion. Mr..
Chairman, are determined that the Jit-
| neg is here to stay. The consequences
of "monkeying with the buzz saw and
| the trolley" Mr.. Chairman, are nil
| when compared to those resulting from
monkeying with the jitney. Yours
truly, DAVID 5. ANDERSON.