The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-03
Says His Record Toward Labor Interests In Bir-
 mingham We'll Known
SEES PURPOSE IN
 GIVING OUT LETTERS
Thinks It Is Striking at Barrett Through Him-Suggests That Ward and Barber Making
 Common Cause

Iames Weatherly, commissioner of Bir- mingham, who resigned his olllce' CT fective Tuesday, when seen oy an Ase Herald reporter yesterday stated that he desired to make statement regaru- ing the letters written to City Attorney M. M. Ullnan by himself, which are pup lshed in The Age-Herald yesteroay morning. Mir. weatherlv said;
 q wrcte the two notes to MT. M. M, tJllnnan, city attorney, relating to pro- posed anti-servant enticing ordinance referred to in today's Age-Herald.
 .'Both notes were written early in May and within few days of each other and neither had reference to differences between the miners union and the coal operators association. At the time the notes were written there was much ado about the exodus of negro labor from the Birmingham district as we'll as from the farms of the state
 q had this fact in mind and, perhaps too hastily concluded that the ordinance would only act as deterrent or check upon the exodus of negro laborers who' in some instances at least were being misled by alluring promises of greater wages. better living conditions and fairer treatment in northern cities than they were receiving here. It was pro posed merely to enact by ordinance the provisions of the state statute against the enticing away of labor already em- ployed
 BEFORE CIVIC ASSOCIATION
 After these notes were written, the general subject of prohibition against the | activities of labor agents came up be- | fore the board of directors of the Bir- n1ingham Civic association, of which l was and am the president, ana Tn the l discussion the proposed ordinance was criticized and condemned by MT. R. E. l.. Connolly, director of the association, and also the general business agent of the carpenters union. After hearing his statements showing how the proposed
 remedies for the emigration of labor would work harshly on labor, especially l the skilled labor of the district, by un- duly restricting the freedom of contract, | by invading their personal rights as citi-
 zens and by hindering them in their ef- 1 forts to obtain higher wages under bet l ter conditions in other states, the civic 1 board voted unanimously against all 1 such legislation. Dr. Barrett, director
 voted with the others. A letter from the
 Rotary club of May 10 urging the Civic association to cooperate in suggesting | remedial measures for the exodus oi common laborers precipitated this discus | s!on.
 From the time of the adverse action ! of the Civic association directors until | the matter was brought up before the l city commission in informal executive j session I was opposed to the ordinance and so stated and voted when it was acted on adversely by the commissioners | LABOR RECORD WELL KNOWN
 Tn other ways and at other times | have shown myself to be not unfriendly to the interests of labor in this commit l nity and my record is known to the la N bor organizations. I do not pose before l the public on this subject, but believe that have shown that I stand for l giving labor square deal by employers and the public.
 .tThe obtaining of these notes from l City Attorney Ullman and having then photographed and circulated at this time l was a piece of small politics which can not injure me but was aimed at Dr l Barrett, an innocent bystander. The campaign in the newspapers seems tc have been opened up this morning as l indicated by the reproduction of the let ters referred to above and the two big. gun editorials in the Birmingham News seemingly striking at Barrett through me.
 .Is it possible that Barber's and Wards managers propose to mako com
 mon cause against Barrett in the firs
 race reserving their fire against eacf other for the run off should they bt l so fortunate as to dispose of the formid I able candidacy of Barrett?"