The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-04-02
Thirty-Five Cars Stolen in Birmingham in the Past Month, According to Po- lice Records
BARBER, HOWEVER, THINKS THEFTS ARE BOYISH P A N KS
Ward Is Insisting That Heavy Fines and Jail Penalty Should Be Used to Stop Offenses
By RICHARD K. LUss1ER

By RICHARD +. LUSSIER | With the report of the police depart
 ment that 35 automobiles were stolen dur ing the month of March, the reason for the continual insistence of President George B. Ward for adequate punishment of the auto thieves became apparent | at the city hall For the past several meetings immedi- ately after Commissioner Arlie Barber would conclude his tirades against the | newspapers and the Standard Oil com pany, MT. Ward would announce solemnly
 that he also had little speech to make We should place the boys or men who steal automobiles in jail'' stated Comms- sioner Ward, and I will insist on this
 until some of these thieves are punished This little speech amplified somewhat MT. Ward had repeated for the past sev- eral weeks at the close of every meeting and every time it excited ripple of laughter, as it was thought he was polk ing little gentle fun at the socialist
 member of the board of commissioners, who is also head of the department of public safety. At no time was it thought that Commissioner Ward could be serious
 in the face of the claimse of police supre-
 macy made by MT. Barber, who rose at
 every meeting with statistics to show
 that under his regime there was less
 crime than at any other period in the history of the city.
 EARNEST IN HIS PLEA But now with the report issued by the police department that 35 automobiles were stolen during the past month, it is realized that President Ward was not jok-
 ing, but in earnest in his plea for more adequate punishment to all persons con victed.
 At every commission meeting in the past Commissioner Barber has sidestepped the suggestion of Commissioner Ward that jail sentence be imposed on auto thieves as well as a fine. At last Fri days meeting President Ward, nettled by the continual indifference of ConsInis- sloner Barber to protect the automopil- ists of the city, offered an ordinance | making it mandatory upon the recorder to impose jail sentence of not more than six months and fine of not less than
 $50 upon all persons convicted of borrow ing an automobile without the owners S permission Commissioner Barber at
 once started to ridicule the proposition on the ground that such an ordinance would be invalid even if sanctioned by the commission, and finally had action post poned for another week. MT. Barber ob- jected to the fine of $50, saying that it
 was too high for boy who stole an auto
 mobile and Mir. Ward immediately sug- gested: "Well, Arlie, you can reduce the fine when it comes to you.'
 "I know all about that answered the socialist commissioner, "but then I would have to come before the board and ex- plain my action
 Well, well make the minimum fine $25 l if you say SOL said Commissioner Ward "Oh, such an ordinance makes no ma terial difference" said MT. Barber my recorder can remit as much of the fine as he pleases. However, I think $25 will be enough for minimum fine"
 However so much discussion was then provoked on the 'Jail section of the ordi- nance that it went over for action next ] Tuesday, when more opposition is expect | ed from Commissioner Barber.
 GRAVITY OF DEFENSE There is no question in the minds of all fair men," said President Ward 'as | to the evils of joy riding in a stolen au- | tcmobiie. There Is no question about the encrmity of the offense when the car Is actually stolen.
 The majority of the automobiles in | Birmingham are owned by poor men. They are men who nave Often mOrtgaged 1 their homes to buy a small car. in order to enjoy some of the pleasures of modern | life. They go to attend the theatre at night with their families and leave the 1 automobile in front. Groups of street l gamins approach and seek to guard the car for a small sum. If the automo- bile owner feels that his car-is perfectly safe with the police officers near by and refuses to hire a small boy to guard his car he emerges from. the theatre to find that someone has ripped his tires open with a knife. As automobile tires cost all the way from $2O to $1OO apiece, the
 extent of the damage is easily apparent.
 But if the owner of an automobile is so fortunate that he escapes having his tires punctured a band of youthful hair brains will come along and borrow it. Of course, the police are immediately notified and in day or two or sometime that night, the automobile is located on the side of Shades mountain or at the bottom of creek. I am assured that