The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1921-05-21

of the short haul competition in tow
d. F. Farcloth Of Ensley in a letter to
the editor expressed this view as fol-
lows:
There is one important phase of the
jitney question which is talked a great
deal but which has not been presented
in the papers.
"Of course every business that sur
wives must have necessary income. In
The case of the street car if the necessary
income is reduced by falling off in
travel Unjust be made UP by an in
crease in fare. Now, the jitneys have
taken lot of traffic and they operate
only on certain short city lines. The long
hauls do not have jitneys at all or for
only short distances. If the jtneys are
allowed to continue and the street car
fares are on that account increased then
the long haul suburban lines, such as
Ensley. Pratt City, Fairfield and East
Lake will be taxed to pay the losses suf-
fered by the short city lines. In other
words, the suburbs will be taxed for the
benefit of the center
ut seems that DIR. Barrett denies any
responsibility for an increase of fare,
even though the action of the city is
direct cause of the increase, as l see it.
I'VE who live in the suburbs are
watching this fight. We hope that DIR.
| Barrett, who resides at East Lake, and
Mr.. Brown, who resides at Ensley, viii
see that our interests have fair protec-
ton. The city proper may get along
without street car service, perhaps. Inc
suburbs cannot, Whatever cripples the
street car service. cripples the suburbs.
| We, of the suburbs, are the one to suf-
in the suburbs to wake up and look
isn't it about time for us who live
in the surburbs to wake up and look
after our own interests? l suggest that
Dr. Barrett and Mr.. Brown think this
over"
Ben Fell, manager of the Birming-
ham branch of the Block Newspaper
agency, said:
"Jitneys should be placed under bond
for the safety of the passengers but
at the same time the jitney men should
carry accident insurance for their own
protection. 1 am not in favor of re-
moving jitneys from the main streets
| of our city, Some regulation of them
may be needed now, but they certainly
have the right to travel over Nny
street or avenue the same as street
car
JITNEYS FOR WORKING MEN
A. d. Williams POLL Fourth avenue
north, said: "Jitneys to the busy
working man are what his private car
is to the busy wealthy man. If the
street car company can reduce their
fare to s cents again, 1t Is pretty safe
bet that the jitneys will go out of bust
ness. During the past 10 years l have
been in Birmingham the jitney ques-
tion has come up several times, but the
jitney operators, it seems. were not
able to make expenses when trying to
compete with the street cars with 5
cents fare"
NOVEL; Broomall 1855 Eleventh
street, north said: Il am certainly in
flavor of the jitneys, for in addition to
being a great convenience, they run
so much faster than the street cars
and get down town ina such short
time On the other hand, we have bet
ter service on all street car lines when
we so desire to ride them. While many
people complain that the jitneys charge
higher fare than the street cars, those
going to Fountain Heights charge
the same fare as the street cars, ana
think they should be allowed 10 be
operated as convenience 10 the peo-
pie of Birmingham"
| Miss Amy Jasperson. 105 North Fiji
tenth place, West End, said: "Jit-
ineys are great help in getting to and
from town, and would rather pay 10
cents each way than to wait on the
street cars and have to stand up all the
way in, as we had to do-before the
! jitreys were operated to West End.
Besides the street car service for those
who prefer to ride tho cars is much
better than it formerly was, and jit-
neys, are real convenience
SERVICE IS INADEQUATE
| N. l.. Pierce 1921 Sixteenth street.
north. said: THE street cars can not give
| the required service and that is why the
| iitneys have become almost a necessity.
The jitneys should be permitted to oper-
ate on the same streets as the cars be-
cause of the great convenience to the
public. Any question in regard to the jit-
reys should have deliberate thought be-
| fore any action is taken. The jitney
operators are making legitimate living
and should be permitted to operate. But
they should be restricted and should be
made to obey the traffic laws. The jit-
reys help people get to their work on
| time. If they stand and wait for a street
car it is always crowded when it comes
along but the jitneys help relieve that
situation. If the street car company can
make money on a gent fare that Is
all they should Charge
| Mrs. b. A. Mayer, employed at a down.
town store said: II think there should
not be decrease in the street car fare
| if that would mean a reduction of wages
! for the street car men. / am decidedly in
| favor of jitneys for they are great time
saver and it's the safest method of trans
port0tion because there seem to be less
accidents to them. The safest way is to
permit them to travel the same routes as
the street cars for it will be safer for
pedestrians and the jitneys will be more
| careful to observe traffic laws. But a
| change in their downtown route should
be made because of the congestion of
traffic"
Miss Katherine Horton, department
store employee. said: "A reduction of the
street car fare to cents would prove a
blessing to <be working people who are
compelled to ride the cars. Jitneys should
be permitted to operate where they are
now running because of the great conven-
fence to the masses. They are comfort
able and person gets plenty of fresh
air which is most welcome after being
confined in store all day."
SHOULD USE STREET CARS
People should patronize the street cars
and by doing this they will perhaps get a
scent fare" said ]. l.. -Lentz. 1872 Four
teenth avenue. north. "A street car ride
n is only worth cents and I think the