The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-02
SPEAKERS CLAIM
UTNEY BUS ISSUE
POOR MANS FIGHT
Continued From Page One


| ested In this case" he said IF
this Is not so. why is it that there has
been suppression of the facts
The newspapers have had plenty of
space to print stories which would
help crush the 1itney operators. but
In defense they have remained ST
lent. Are we to go back to the
dark ages, to the tyranny of the
land barons who made their sub
tects pay for the privilege of walk
ing on the streets? Shall we pay
for the privilege of parking our au-
tomobiles in the down town section
of Birmingham?
The Birmingham Railway. Light
and Power company have told our
city commission that they desired
the privilege of robbing the citizens
of $2.0o0,000 and the commission has
supinely allowed them the privilege
Shall we allow eastern capital to
come Into our city, and buy out our
city commission" Mr.. Irby ask ed.
In their contract with the Birming
ham Railway, Light and Power com
pany, the city commission signed an
agreement to kill the business of
300 good citizens of birmingham,
and they have even agreed to go
back on an old agreement they have
had with the jitney bus operators.
and this simply because the jitney
operators in operating an honest
business have come into competition
with the powerful clique of capital
lists. If any other organization
would undertake such an act they
would be put into jail for corrup-
ton"
Asks a Question.
Just then. somebody In the audience
q & o he
sonally carry the fight before the
city commissioners, and drew the re-
ply: THE city commission has re-
fused me permission to speak in Wy
lam, Ensley and in North Birming
ham because they know I have facts
Birmingham Railway, Light and
Power company has slipped quietly
into a receivership in order tC run
rough shod over the people and
gouge them of 100000 a year, and
there is no fight to put a stop to
| their gouging because the people
have a city commission which is toe
cowardly to face the facts
Mr.. Irby also accused the Birming-
ham Railway, Light and Power COM
pany of maintaing a lobby at the
city hall and as a closing slap asked
why people consuming electricity
for lighting their homes had to pay
3 TO cents, Wnen the DIE
users paid less than l cent, and then
proceeded to answer his own question
by saying that 1t was because the
truth was kept from the people be-
cause of the full page advertisements
in the newspapers of the Alabama
Power company.
The meeting was presided over by
w. S. Hale and promoted by Mr.. Hale.
G. b. johnson, j. Mack Gibson and
- ieyh bn q, cd
sentatives of the jitney interests of
Birmingham and the newly formed
Jitney Drivers and Operators asso-
citation.
In a few opening remarks, Mr.. Hale
said that the jitneys were in Biz
mingham to serve the people in a
transportation way. and urged sup
He promised in return that If the jit-
neys were allowed to stay they would
give better service than ever before.
Proch Explains Ordinance.
G. y. Proch, first speaker on the
program. in explaining the ordinance
upon which efforts are being made
to get a special election, said that
1T would provide for a bond of So,
500 to insure the public against in
juries. l. also said that all jitney
operators would be required to be-
long to the new organization, and
that they would be examined to see
if they were capab of driving a
car properly Gore any license was
issued to them. He also said that
If any jitney driver vi caught
tr- sporting liquor, or driving his
automobile lille drunk his license
Immediately would be revoked.
The new ordinance will make the
jitneys safer than the street c-s,'
Mr.. Proch said. Continuing he declar-
ed that the new ordinance constituted
monopoly between the city COM
mission and the Birmingham Railway
Light and Power company, and that
1t meant the crushing of the little
man so that the big corporation could
reap all of the profits Mr.. Proch also
predicted that in ten years there
wouldn't be any street cars operat-
ing. except in the suburbs.
c. b. Powell, last speaker on the
program. pointed TO the fact that the
stock of the birmingham Railway
Light and Power company was most
ly owned by the American Cities
Electric company, which in turn he
said. was owned by a subsidiary
company of the General Electric COM