The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-04-10
CITY COMMISSION ADOPTS DRASTIC VAGRANT ORDINANCE AS WAR MEASURE IdIers and Loafers Will Be Required to Show Proof
 Why They Are Not
 Migrants
EMPLOYMENT BUREAU
 WILL BE ESTABLISHED BY CITY DEPARTMENT
Employment Ordinance Held Over at Request of Labor Con- mittee on Enticement
 of Labor Clause

The ordinance to establish city en- ployment office was held over to an ad journed meeting of the commission which will be held Thursday morning at 1l:3o
 o'clock, when it IS almost certain that the ordinance will be adopted, with one
 possible change. The change that will be discussed will be in reference to section S. wherein the solicitation of labor or enticing of labor away from Birmingham is touched upon.
 A committee of manufacturers and in dustrial men of the city and delega- ton from the Machinists' union were in waiting at the city commission yester-
 day when the ordinance to further de- fine vagrancy was introduced. The com mittee from the Machinists' union asked for more time to consider the ordinance, and they were granted until o'clock,
 when the ordinance came up again at
 the afternoon meeting and was adopted.
 There was no objection from either side.
 The ordinance which follows was in
 troduced by Commissioner Taylor:
 Be it ordained by the commission of
 the city of Birmingham as follows:
 Section l. That any male person who
 
 who lives in idleness. or who loafs, lott CTS or idles, or remains in the city of Birmingham or within its police jurisdic- tion without any regular employment, having no income producing property sufficient for his support and for the support of his dependents, is hereby de- clared to be a vagrant, and on convection of vagrancy, shall be punished as pro- vided in Section 1216 of the code of Ala bama
 REGULAR EMPLOYMENT Sec. 9 The term regular employ ment," as used in the preceding section shall be construed to mean regular and continuous employment to the reasonable physical capacity and opportunity of each person subject to the provisions of this ordinance.
 Sec. 8. In the prosecution for vagrancy whenever it shall be established by the proof that the defendant has been guilty of wandering or strolling about, or re- maining in idleness during any working day in any calendar week, the burden of proof shall be upon the defendant to show that he is not a vagrant within the meaning of this ordinance, or of any other valid ordinance of the city of Bir- mingbam.
 Sec 4 This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from the date hereof until a ratification of treaty of peace between the United States of America and the German empire.
 Sec. g. The provisions of this ordi- nance shall not apply to any person who, having been regularly employed shall be idle by reason of an existing bona-hde strike or lockout in which he shall have joined.
 Sec. 6. The provisions of this ordinance shall be in addition to and shall not op- crate as a repeal of Chapter LX1 of the code of the city of Birmingham of 1917, or any part thereof. The labor committee headed by B. M King objected to this clause, and Commissioner Burrus' request to give the representatives of labor time to digest the ordinance before the com mission took final action upon it was unanimously agreed to.
 The ordinance follows.
 EMPLOYMENT BUREAU Be it ordained by the commission of
 the city of Birmingham as follows: Section l. There is hereby established under the Jurisdiction of the depart ment of public safety, a bureau to be known as the "City Employment Off, fice," which shall be charged with the duty of keeping in touch with the de- mand and supply for industrial labor in the city of Birmingham. and assist ing in securing employment for all la borers in the city desirous of securing l employment or likely to become charges upon the city or to violate the l city laws. The said bureau shall also assist the legal department of the city l in the investigation of offenses against 1 the vagrancy and other ordinances of | the city and bringing delinquents to l trial for offenses against such laws. | The said bureau shall inaugurate an adequate system and records of persons residing within the city who are able to work and not regularly employed. l Sec. 2. The said bureau shall consist l of an officer to be known as the City
 Employment Officer" who will have
 direction and charge of said bureau, (Continued on Page Seven)