The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-09
The five members of Birmingham

formal signed statement to the peo-
pie of Birmingham on the settle
ment made with the B. r. G. L. 2.
Co., which reads as follows:
TO the people of Birmingham:
The city commission, after
thorough investigation and consider
alton, and after patient and pains
taking effort, has arrived at an
agreement with the receivers OF the
street railway company, which in
wolves settlement of the matters
of reduction In street car fares. en-
forcement of Jim Crow provisions, a
street lighting contract, cooperation
In the street paving program, and
cooperation between the city and the
company upon all matters, particu-
larly in reference to transportation
service.
soon after negotiations were
taken up between the city and the
receivers, the jltney problem was
brought into the discussion. 1t is
but fair to the commission and to
the entire proposition to here state
that the jitney problem had been
under consideration by the commits
sion for more than year; and the
commission had already Investigated
and determined, that for the protec-
tion of the people. drastic changes
with reference to jitney operation
were necessary, 80 that, while the
city commission had been consider
ing the jitney problem separate and
disconnected from the matter of the
settlement with the street car com
pany. it was found expedient to
settle the entire matter of street
transportation by one agreement.
o o O
Submitted To People.
THE commission desires that the
ordinance efecting this settlement
should be submitted to a vote of the
people OF this city, in order that
the matter may be finally determined
in accordance with the wishes of the
people; and the commission, with
the full knowledge OF the public
benefits to be derived from the pro-
visions of the settlement. does and
shall continue to urge it's approval.
IF, at the election, majority of
the voters favor the ordinance, all
matters embraced therein will be put
into effect: II the majority does not
favor the ordinance, the city will re-
main just where it now is: namely,
no lighting contract; no reduction
in street car fares, no power to force
the receivers to put in street lights,
no matter how badly needed; no
paving agreement, the receivers fall
ing to see the logic of laying pave
ments for jitneys to operate upon
the one-man cars will operate as they
are being operated, the changes in
cars providing separate entrance for
white and colored people with well
marked divisions in the cars separat-
ing the races. will probably remain
as they are now; the receivership of
the Birmingham Railway. Light and
Power company will probably con-
tinue for an indefinite period; and
the city will continue to lose thou
sands of dollars in license tax from
the company.
Jitney Propositions.
The commission having already
determined that it was necessary
either to abolish jitneys or to put
proper regulations upon them-and
this without regard to whether a
pany was made or not. the ordinance
places restrictions upon jitneys sub
stantially as follows:
Il. That they shall operate only
under permits issued by the commits
sion. and the permit will issue only
when public convenience and neces-
sity require same on account of In
adequate existing transportation
- That the jitney operator shall
protect the public by giving to the
| city a surety companys bond, in
| the sum of not more than $4,000 tc
| each person injured which shall an
| swer to every citizen for injury to
person or property proximately re-
| sulting from negligence or miscon-
duct on the part of the jitney OPP
| orator.
80. That jitneys shall not operate
| on street car lines, thus using the
| street car company's tracks and the
pavement laid and paid for by the
| company. nor shall they parallel such
tracks within two blocks thereof.
Elimination of the Jitney.
I'VE are informed that jitney OPP
orators claim that the enforcement
| of these provisions will eliminate the
| jitneys. We say by the ordinance
that where really needed the jitneys
may operate. but that wherever they
| operate it must be with due regard
| to the safety of the public. and
sengers and to the public for all
damage to person or property result
| ing from negligence or misconduct
OF the operator. This is the standard
up to which the street car company
must measure. II the jitneys can
regulations they should and will be
eliminated.
Restrictions Heretofore.
we have found by experience tina,
restrictions heretofore placed upon
regulations contained in this ordi-
nance are necessary. We could have
imposed these regulations upon the
jitneys without at the same time
making general settlement with
the street car company. But have
thought it wiser to properly regulate
the jitneys and at the same time OBJ
tain such reasonable concessions ant
public benefits from the street cal
company as might be had.
o o O
Street Car and Jitney.
The operators of the street cars
have heretofore laid tracks, paved
| inches on each side: have created
property values wherever their lines
have been laid; have furnished the
| cheapest and the only reliable fixed
and permanent urban transportation
and they are responsible to an unlim
| tied amount for any damage they dc
to our citizens or their property.
"The 5itney operator is to high
degree uncertain. unstable and tenn
porary. He is an added menace to
transportation and traffic; a frequent
| cause Of delays, irritation. and auto
mobile collisions; he lays no tracks
| upon which to operate, but adds ma
terially to the wearing, out of streets
| and street pavements which have
been laid and paid for by the street
car company and the citizens. He
lays no pavements nor pays for any
but insists upon the right to run upon
the street car tracks and the pave
i ments laid by the street car company
and by the citizens of Birmingham
He is absolutely irresponsible il sued
for injury to person or property; he
does not furnish cheap method of
transportation, but. on the contrary
his existence has caused a raise in
<>v-to to- tar p,.1 ia
reduction therein; he crowds and
packs men, women, boys and girls in
| upon each other Unfortunately ana
| in close oontact-a condition highly