The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-05
WOMEN TAKING UP MRS. WALKER CASE
Special Session Of City Com mission For Hearing Set For
 Thursday Morning

Controversy over the summary re- moval last week of Mrs. C. c. Walker, for six years a clerical assistant in City Comptroller H. M. Taylor's of flee, reached ahe hectic stage Tues day when series of developments came in rapid-fire order.
 They were:
 l. Commissioner Mary. Echols, in the name of the women~of Birming- ham,. sent a sharp letter to Presi- dent D. E. McLendon, asking that confirma tion of the comptroller's ac- Dtion be withheld pending thorough investigation to determine wheth CT Mrs. Walker was busted fin order that a man might be appointed in her place."
 ,. Con. missioner w. l.. Harrison. when Mrs. Echols' letter was placed before the commission, declared the only course open to the commission was to "go into the case fully and get at the facts.". A majority of the com mission shared this view. 3. Hundreds of women. through or ganizations to which they belong, made it known they were preparing to assist Mrs. Walker in a fight for vindicationN and restoration of her po- sition.
 1. City officials began preparations to accommodate the large crowds ex- pected to attend the hearing, which probably will be opened Thursday morning at 10 o'clock when the com mission meets in special session.
 ,. A ruling by City Attorney w. J. Wynn held that Mrs. Walker cannot be officially discharged until the comptroller's action is upheld by the commission.
 6. Mrs. Walker, at her home, main tained an attitude of silence, but her friends asserted that counsel would be retained and plans swiftly made for finish fight
 After surveying tue days develop ments, Comptroller Taylor said he would issue no statement in advance of action by the commission. He in dicated that he would be ready any time to give his version of the case to the commission.
 O O O
 Interest Keen.
 City hall throughout Tuesday buzzed with rumors of immediate action by friends, of Mrs. Walker, and the storm which has resulted from her removal was everywhere the central topic of remark.
 The League of Women Voters, stirred over the report that Mrs. Walker was let out to make room for a man. will act in theS case as soon as a meeting can be called, members of the commission were informed. A formal petition requesting an "open hearing" for Mrs. Walker probably will be shaped in time for presentation to the commission in advance of Thursdays special ses- sion, it was further learned. Although flatly declining to dis cuss her plans with reporters, Mrs. ' VT ', fairly swamped" during the last few days with telephone calls and visits iron. women who told her they were bent on seeing that she received a square deal"
 The tone of Mrs. Echols' letter to President McLendon carried an infer ence that Mrs. Walkers removal has stirred them to a point where they are ready to make it city-Wide po- litical issue. Some of the leaders, commission members were told, re- gard the case as sufficiently impor- tant to call for action by the National League of Women Voters.
 This feeling, it was said, was in- spired by Mrs. Walkers statement that the only reason Comptroller Taylor assigned for her removal was that "he wanted to put nan in my place"
 Cross Gets Job.
 NJ. c. Cross, an employe in the comptroller's department for some time, was assigned to Mrs. Walkers S duties after her removal.
 Versions of the affair as given by Comptroller Taylor and Mrs. Walker differ materially.
 T removed her for the best inter- ests of the city, and it was merely an incident that man happened to succeed her." says the comptroller.
 MT. Taylor fired me on 30 minutes notice; the only reason he gave was that he wanted to put a man in. my place. says Mrs. Walker.
 Mrs. Echols' letter to President McLendon declared:
 Members of the various women's organizations in the city have pro- tested to me against the dismissal of Mrs. c. c. Walker from the comp troller's department. I represent the women, and realize that 1 would not have occupied my present position as commissioner if it had not been for the votes of women, and as there seems to be a question in the minds of many of them as to why Mrs. Wal ker was discharged and a man ap- pointed in her place. am asking that you defer action on the confirmation of her dismissal, as l shall be un- avoidably absent from the Tuesday morning meeting and I wish to have further tine to investigate" Mrs. Echols was in Montgomery Tuesday and President McLendon was attending a funeral in Shelby county. Hence the commission de- cided to defer consideration until the | rT-t.