The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-26

in paper marks on a gold basis. other hand, he said they felt kindly disposed toward them. Yet. he said, every attempt of the commission to regulate the jitneys was met by some sort of an injunction. They are ab- solutely responsible" he stated. " and it is impossible to regulate that class of people,"
 Their so-ca1led revolving fund of s2,500 was declared by Commissioner Harrison to be of no consequence. The fact of the matter is. he said, you can't collect any damages from jitney driver or owner.
 Jitney owners and drivers have been content with working up pre- judice against the citizens commit tee, and have side stepped entirely the real issue at stake. MT. Harri- son said, adding further they had presented not & single logical argu- ment in answer to the assertions of those interested in the defeat of their ordinance.
 Senator sWalter Brewer was intro duced by MT. Bailes as an official who had for many years been work ing to the best interest of the aver age citizen. The senator in turn took occasion to say that Birmingham Is to be complimented for having as com
 
 cient 8 man as William L. Harrison. The best Birmingham can do for him, MT. Brewer said, would be none too good.
 Compares List of Names.
 Touching on the question invilved. Mr. Brewer said it had come to his attention that efforts had been made in certain quarters to direct abuse at the citizens committee working for the defeat of the jitney owners ordinance. The senator said, If were in San Francisco California. and hadn't read the jitney owners ordinance, I would be opposed to 1t after reading over the names of those citizens who are fighting for it's de- feat. If it is a question of personnel. then you need go no further than the personnel of the opposing, sides to determine what course you shall take on August 2S. I wish the news papers would publish a list of these men on both sides and let the public form it's own opinion.
 Senator Brewer stated in reply to the argument that the defeat of the jitney owners ordinance mean throw ing the drivers out Cf work, that those of them who were any good could secure work with the traction company, who would. he was inform
  150 additional men. If we are to view the situation from that angle, why not consider those several hundred desirable citizens, employees of the B. R., l.. and P. company who will be thrown out of work if the jitney owners ordinance is adopted. Men who own homes and are raising their families in Birming gham. Would not that be much greater catastrophe ?'
 a Q ha any other city of it's population in the United States, Senator Brewer pointed out. Adequate transportation facilities is necessary to future growth and expansion and to keep up the value of suburban property.
 Q O O
 Says Responsibilities Lacking.
 As to paving, MT. Brewer said: "If the jitneys had to pave one third of the width of the street from here to town, how many of them do you think would surrender their licenses tomorrow. l am opposed to jitneys operating on an unfair basis. Fig ures show that the very next day after the paving to West End had been opened up, the receipts of the street railway company dropped off 50 per cent. Can you blame them for bucking the same conditions on First avenue?
 
 issue from a moral standpoint, say ing he had seen jitneys of seven passenger carrying capacity loaded with from to IS persons, men and girls alike piled three deep, and all in the hands of irresponsible drivers in the majority of cases. he said, graduates of taxlcab companies, many of whC m were too irresponsible to be continued in the employ of the cab companies.
 T would be bitterly opposed to,the adoption of the jitney mems ordi- nance if for no other reason than the elimination of the Jim Crew feature on the street cars We have been on the verge of race riots in different sections of Birmingham on that very account, and the elimination of the jitney means the elimination of all one-man cars. If we accomplish nothing more than that, we will have made great step forward" Statement By Committee.
 The following statement was Issued Saturday by the citizens committees This question will be resolved for