The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-06-02
Rumored That Men Will Quit Work Monday-Com- mission Likely to Order
 Audit of Books
STATEMENT GIVEN
 OUT BY BERNHARDT
Carmen Are Confident That They Will Not Be Censured if They Quit Their Jobs for
 Higher Wages

The question of raising the wages of the street car men of Birmingham is be- ing talked freely in the city, following
 the conference held Friday with the city commission and the Board of Trade, and it is stated that the men will quit work Monday afternoon at o'clock unless they receive a healthy increase in wages.
 On the other hand, it is stated that the street car men will not make any move
 until after their meeting on Monday night, when it is understood that they will meet and decide whether they will quit work to accept work elsewhere at a higher wage, or continue in the employ of the local company until the city takes some action, or something is done to
 make way for an increase in their hourly pay.
 It is very likely that the commission will adopt a resolution at their regular
 meeting on Tuesday next, calling for an audit of the books of the street railway
 system, and this audit, if made, will be
 complete. It will go into every detail Of the operations and revenues, and not
 be merely a statement of receipts and expenditures.
 It has been suggested that the com pany adopt q plan whereby they be all lowed to increase the fare from one end of the city to another. For instance, the fare from Vivian to East Lake is 5 cents, and this is longer haul than from Birmingham to Bessemer, and the com pany now gets 15 cents per passenger from Birmingham to Bessemer The idea would be to establish 5-cent zones, and then collect fares again from every passenger after passing from one zone i into another. This would greatly in- crease the revenues and would make It more equitable, it is thought.
 l There seems to be very little hope Of 6-cent fare in Birmingham until the peo-
 pie are convinced that the company is absolutely sincere in it's statements to the l city and to the car men, Which the ma I pority of the people are not informed upon, and nothing short of an audit
 would demonstrate this fact clearly and 1 fairly to the people of the city, and l place them in possession of the facts that
 would make it possible for them to vote 1 intelligently, in case referendum eiec- 1 tion is called.
 BERNHARDT'S STATEMENT l President Barnhardt issued the follow 1 ing statement last night to the public: ITO the Citizens of Birmingham:
 | It is not the intention of the trainmen
 employed by the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company to threaten l or attempt to intimidate the city com mission or the general public in the mat | ter of our wage controversy with the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company Our position in this issue has at all times been conservative and tenn perate. with full knowledge of the rights of the public generally, especially the commercial and industrial interests or the community.
 1 The facts connected with this contro- l yersy are widely known and it is grea' 1 satisfact to the trainmen that we l have met with generous response of sym 1 pathy with out position from all classes 1 and conditions of our people, and nave done everything possible to save very serious condition of affairs, made so by
 the impairment of the transportatlon i system of this city.
 l To those not conversant With the l facts in this case. we desire to orle1ly trestate the question at issue. The street railway employees have been working on a scale of wage which is not ade 1 uuate to meet even our modest require ments. We have appealed to the man agement of our company for relief anc have been granted q 3-cent per houl increase. This action on the part of the company followed a 2-cent bonus
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