The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-08-26
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Opposes Jitney Ordinance

Observing from the city papers. dur
 ing the last several days, that there 1 was pending before the city commission
 an anti-jltney ordinance, and noting the
 statement of one of our commissioners l that he had offered the proposed ordi-
 nance by request, that he refused to stand sponsor for 1t, and that, if 1t be-
 came city law, it would put every jit-
 ney operating in the city of Birmingham
 out of business, was prompted to call
 at the city hall today and read the draft
 of the proposed ordinance in order that
 I might familiarize myself with its pro- visions.
 After reading the proposed ordinance, local street car company though on it's l face, 1t purports to come from some electrical workers associati Tn fact, 1 1t was stated in one of the city papers
 of yesterday that the moving spirit be- hind this ordinance was the local street
 car employees, whose wages would be in creased if the company's receipts could
 be augmented by the suppression or
 abolition of the jitneys It would, there fore. appear that the interest or con venience of the public was not consio- cred factors in the drafting of this or dinance, but that the interest of the street car company or Its operating em- ployes, who would be the beneficiaries of It's beneficient provisions and pur- poses, was the sole consideration.
 In this connection, 1t will be remem- hot the street car company came out in the open, and. confessing that the humble jitney had greatly diminished its daily receipts, made determined but unsuc- cessful effort to so burden the opera tion of a jitney as to prohibit the traf- fic. It appears that 1t is now sought to accomplish the same end under cover. The consideration of this ordi- nance should not be entertained by the commission for moment. In the first place, every one knows that if every jitney In the city should be suppressed, the wages of the street car operatives would not be increased to any appre- ciable extent if at all, and, In the sec- ond place, the interest and convenience of the public should be the prime, In fact, the only question which should engage the attention of our city com- mission. We all well remember "the public be damned" attitude of the strees car company prior to the advent of the Jitney, and the radical improvements both as to courtesy and civil conduct of It's operating employees. and also in Its car service. following immediately upon the inauguration of jitney service in the city of Birmingham. This improvement has been continuous to date. and, no doubt, will continue so long as the street car company has competition in the car riage of passengers In the city of Bir- mingham, even from the lowly jitney. For years the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company had a mo- nopoly in the transportation of passen- gers in the city of Birmingham, and I dare say there is no living sane man, a patron of that company during those years who would be willing to ever again entrust to this company that ex- elusive privilege.
 The proposed ordinance Is skilfully drawn and has some good features, doubtless intended to conceal its real purpose. it's poison and its fangs, but the sole and inevitable result will cer- tainly be to so burden the traffic as to render the operation of the iitney pro- hibitive and restore to the street car company a monopoly in the carrying of passengers in the city of Birmingham. That certain regulations in the opera tion of the 3tney are urgently needed cannot be denied, but regulation only is needed and not abolition or prohibition Among the regulations which might be suggested as conducive to the comfort of long suffering public is to make il unlawful for any tobacco chewer or any smoker to indulge in either of these filthy habits while occupying the front seat or perched on the doors of any jitney. Such a regulation would not only save the clothes of passengers oc- cupying the rear seat. but would. in addition, protect the unwilling and pro- testing passenger from a face bath in tobacco juice and his eyes from becom- Ing clogged with cigar and cigarette ashes, to say nothing of the offensive odor from the ever present overripe and ancient pipe. It might not also be amiss , to provide that no male passenger shall be permitted to occupy the lap of any female passenger in a 1itney either in the night or daytime without her free and full consent.
 Reasonable regulations looking to the safety and comfort of passengers and reasonable requirements in the way of security for the payment of damages for i personal injuries sustained by jtney l, are needed. but I protest {. against the passage of the pending ordi- nance I am sure that the street car company wouls he very glad if 1t could | stifle all competition in the carriage of passengers in the city of Birming- | ham, just as I, as a lawyer, might con slider 1t good thing to put all lawyers | except myself out of business, but | doubt if either event would be condu- cive to the public welfare.
 This communication is written in the | Interest of fair play and square deal, | and what I conceive to be the interest of the public. have no interest in any jitney. nor do know the owner or L operator of one. The consideration of | the ordinance in question has been de- ferred until next Tuesday morning, Au- [ gust 2S, and I beg to suggest that 1t { would be well for those opposing it's passage for any reason whatever to either attend the meeting of the city commission on that day or make their views known to the commission prior to the meeting. JOHN T. GLOVER
 Birmingham. August 2l. 1s17