The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-05
Working Women File Pro- test Against Raise With the City Commission
 Yesterday COMMISSIONERS TO GIVE STATEMENT ON
 PROPOSED RAISE
President Pevear Willing for Books to Be Audited if Mo- tive Is Right-Ullman
 Preparing Ordinance

Now that referendum on the question of increasing street car fares from to s cents is assured, opposition to the penny raise is developing. bundle of protesting petitions signed by several huncred men and women were filed with the city commissioners yesterday, one ot the petitions containing the signatures of nearly 2Uo women and girls who ars compelled to ride on the cars in going to and from their places of employment
 In their protesting petition the work ing women say they are not opposed to an increase in the wages of the street car employes-in fact, they favor it-but they object to being taxed for the ben eft of the Birmingham Railway Light and Power company. As. soon as the election is ordered the objectors will be- gin an active campaign to defeat the adoption Of the ordinance. it is said.
 The city commissioners made no reter- ence to the matter at their meeting yes terday morning, but subsequent to ad- joarnment Commissioner J. Ellis Brown stated that the United States railway administration would be requested to take over and operate the street railway system in the event the company fails from any cause to keep the cars run ming. While the commissioners would xot discuss the question for publication the impression prevailed about the city hall that they would not permit cessa- ton of traffic at any time whether the people adopt or reject the proposed orai- nanc- granting the increased fares.
 The city commissioners, it was stated yesterday, will issue statement in the near future setting out their position on the question of higher fares. Accord ing to information obtained at the clty hall, but not from either of the com missioners, they neither favor nor oppose the adoption of the ordinance urged by the employees of the street railway com pany. but they will announce ffr positive terms that the cars will continue to run regardless of the result of the election.
 The petition blanks containing the text of the proposed ordinance were not received from the printer yesterday, but Secretary Jennings of the street car mems union stated last night that
  and that they will immediately be put in circulation for signatures.
 President Pevear of the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company stated yesterday that he was perfectly willing for the city to audit the com pany books if the auditing is to serge some useful purpose, but if it be mere ly to gratify a curiosity he would viz orously oppose it. He said he would willingly permit a citizens committee, formed for the purpose of ascertaining the merits of the proposed increase in fares, to examine the books
 The ordinance as proposed by the street car employees and drawn by City Attorney M. M. Ullman, not in his of- tlcial capacity, however. will contain the provision that all of the revenues accru- ing from the increase in fares shall be used exclusively in meeting the in- creased wages of the employees, and none of it to go towards the payment of interest on bonds, debt or dividends or other expenses.