The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-28
ATTACKS RAILROAD ABUSE TO TRAFFIC MEN Chicago Man Den0unces "VEious Demagogues
 In Congress" POLITICAL MAKING OF RATES IS DENOUNCED Wilcox Elected President Of
 Traffic Club In Spirited Contest 4

a:S s s.e. D:,.-I Traffic and n club for
 The eyx led by c. Fl. TEK " -ept into z.t lzss se camE Dm, wN { the cl lcceed1 hhA >rganiza- tion.
 Electis. xded with a rousing adx <. Palmer of Chicago, edite Traffic World, in which he cafk aame of Senator Capper, of Kansas, and denounced "a bloe of vicious defnagogues in Congress who are bent on destroying the rail- roads to popularize themselves at home," provided the chief features of the banquet.
 The hall was lavishly decorated and numbers of out-of-town railroad men attended. A.. G. Patterson, chairman of the Alabama public service commis- sion, was present and made a talk in which he described transportation as the greatest economic and industrial PAOVAthA DCAOhC ShC Couhthy tVuuys
 Close Election.
 ''Red" leaders put out ticket with Dan F. McDonough, division freight agent of the Frisco system, as presi- dential candidate. The election man. Wilcox, whe will continue as presi- ager of the Southern railway.
 nkhAp off Stanfield, first vice president; E. F. Stovall, second vice president W. G. Kidd, secretary; J. ". Bryan, treas urer; board of governors, E. M. Cole, K. W. Daniel, Burt Henshaw, J. H. Settle and E. J Burg.
 Campaign slogan of the "blues" was Pep promotes progress." The "reds" used as their battle cry: "A bigger, better club ts
 ! Palmer. Given Osation.
 Mir. Palmer's speech was halted ire quently by heavy rounds of applause from all parts of the ballroom. He said the traffic clubs of the country are rapidly bringing about a better under standing between shippers and receivers of freight and the railroads. !
 Here are some of the things MT. Pal. mer said the traffic clubs should take up:
 ' Move to stop politica.. rate-makine that is going on all over the country Demand full, frank discussion of the railroad consolidation apestion Taks 2 firm sfard on ma tfers Qg broad p,ablii, policy. Exert all possible infIuence ts have qualified men, instead of poll ticians, appointed OH the interstate com merce commission" N
 Attacking the anti-railroad bloc which he said is headed by Senator Cap per, Palmer declared that the Kansas senator is ..'either ignorant or willfuliJ wrong" The senator's forces, he added are aided by numbers of congressmen and senators who have absolutely nc convictions"
 Mir. Palmer declared strongly against the operation by the government of a barge line on the Warrior river, assert. ing this was in direct competition with the railroads. He voiced opposition to government participation in any trans, portati0n business.
 Growth Is Shown
 Traffic clubs," he concluded, "are now fOurishing in 42 leading cities Your club here in Birmingham is with. out doubt the ivest I have yet seen You should stand firm in your purpose to bring order out of chaos in the trans. portation. problems of the country"
 President Wilcox told of the clubs growth from 50 to more than 250 mem. bers since its organization in February one year ago. Henry l.. Badham, pres. ident of the Bessemer Coal, Iron and Land company. was toastmaster. He urged every shipper in the district to have representatives become club mem. bers quickly.
 Mir. Badham told some of the secrets of his early life and admitted he goi his start as a conductor on the s. A. l. railroad at salary of $60 per month.
 Dr. w. R. Hendrix, pastor of the South Highlands church. gave the in, vocation which formally opened the banquet. J. Mercer Barnett entertain. ed with stories of life in gay Paris as he saw it recently and E. R. Smith made good as song leader.
 A negro quartet from the l.. and N railroad sang old-time songs and the Country Club Night Hawks helped to round out the musical program.