davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
PRESIDENTS ACT NOT MEDICATION
Daugherty Says That Com mutation Of Wartime Sen
 tences Misunderstood

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-The action of President Coolidge in committing the sentences of thirty-one war law offenders recently was fin no sense a vindication" of the men concerned or the acts committed, Attorney Gem eral Daugherty declared in letter to Federal Judge Martin H. Wade of Iowa City. Ia., made public here to- night. The prisoners. those in authority believed, had received the punishment necessary, he added, and further imprisonment would have been injurious rather than helpful. MT. Daugherty condemned "agen- cies and men and certain newspapers" which have disseminated "misinfor- nation to tear down and destroy con- fidence" in lawful government.
 Q o 0
 Good Citizens Misled.
 "These are the men," he continued, flor whom the rabid, lawless. anarch- istic and disgruntled element of so- ciety in this country have been labor ing ever since sentence was imposed Gin the wartime prisoner cases), and of late their forces have been aug mented by many good, law-abiding citizens. who have been misled by the subtle arguments of those propa- gandists based upon misstatement of fact" y, '1
 The prosecutions and punishment meted out were necessary under the circumstances, MT. Daugherty de- clared.
 The punishment given in those cases. the attorney general said, stands out at this time as an ex- ample to those who may be and are attempting by means of insidious propa ganda to disrupt and overturn government ."
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
FRANC NEW DROP
 ALARMS r RE N | H
American Bankers Do Not Ascribe Decline To
 Specti2.ioa

PARIS Jan. As---ts1 .Ssaoclo tr Press. .)--Lseading faaanciers have heeF Invited by Finance Minister lse ..tts- teyrie to confer Hss=1l if5ni c1ncSsnl < means of suppres nr- Speculation in exchange and hs lr tiie oepTsS Ia ton of the franc. AAis i" me NTs5 time in recent fnolths that Ine ernment has looked upon the position of the franc as being serious enough to require positive action.
 The common explanation for works in French financial has been that powerful money interests in New York and London were deliberately depressing the fEanc-New York pure ly for profit, and London as a polit- ical measure designed to modify the French policy in the Ruhr. Another exclamation up to the end of Decem- Der was that the year-end require ments in settlement of foreign bal ances were responsible for the rapid rise of the pound sterling and Amer ican dollar, but this explanation is not longer available.
 Bankers Deny French Analysis.
 Officials in charge of the Paris branches of American banks resolute- ly reject the suggestion that spec ulation in New York is operating acainst the franc. The affirm that the balance of trade against France In 1923 together with the regular in- terest installments on foreign loans have not been counterbalanced by the tourists expenditures.
 The French government, 1t rs pointed out, is paying about $4o,ooo.- 900 annual interest on it's American loans and on it's debt for army sup plies.
 There are also loans to Bordeaux, Marseilles, Lyons and the Department of the Seine and considerable list of private company interest payments to the United States.
 Newspapers such as the Tefops have alluded to some French exporters leaV- ing a balance abroad. The French ministry of finance is insisting sharp ly upon enforcement of the law against the export of capital, and inquiries both among American and French bankers indicate they do ho' countenance the transfer of money abroad except under. government Il cense: but it is said there are way" of eyading these restrictions such as repeatedly buying small drafts and leaving the foreign payments abroad.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
DOINGS OF DAY M WASHINGTON

Pilots anG a.tcrnates for the around -the-Wor q flight were an- nounced by the var department
 James C. Davis. director general of railroads, announced the settlement of all claims arising from wartime railroad control.
 President Coolidge, it was said, would elevate one of the present commissioners to the chairmanship of the shipping board.
 Secretary Weeks announced the sale of 5000 rifles, 5,000,000 rounds of ammunition and eight airplanes to the Obregon government of Mexico.
 Harry F Sinclair gave the Senate public lands committee additional de- tails of the financing arrangements for operation Of naval oil reserves leased to his enterprises.
 Officials expressed doubt of the genuineness of the registry of the British rum runner Tomoka, the re- lease of whose crew has been asked by the British government.
 The White House stated that any attempt by Congress to compromise the principles embodied in the Mellon tax reduction plan would meet with the opposition of President Coolidge
 The House ways and meat.: com mittee rejected an amendment to the tax bill under which gains from sale of stock dividends would be sub ject to nominal and sur tax rates.
 By direction of the President, of- ficials were said to be considering the purchase of ships from the ship ping board and the navy for use of the coast guard in combating rum smuGglers.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
COAL WAGE SCALE
 TO BE DISCUSSED
Conference Between Bitu- nous Miners And Opera tors Is Called

CLEVELAND, O., Jan. 4.-An effort to reach an agreement for a new wage scale for the bituminous coal miners of the old central competitive field will be made on February II, at Jacksonville, Fla, when the miners and operators of Ohio. Indiana, H. linois and probably western Pennsyl- vania will meet This was decided upon at a meeting of representatives of operators and miners from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois here today.
 Western Pennsylvania was not rep resented at today's meeting but in the call to be issued shortly for the Ja- 'ssonville conference the miners and operators of that state will be included This will be in the form of an invitation.
 If western Pennsylvania declines the invitation. a three state confer ence will be held with representatives from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois at tending
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
Amount Allowed EmpIoyes Of Alabama For Travel In Private Cars Excessive, Says Examiner Of Accounts
 EMPLOYES NOW GET 10 CENTS MILE ALLOWANCE Brooks Recommends That Where Practicable That State Furnish Cars-Seven Gents Mile Is Reasonable
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU
 THE AGE-HERALD

mOutkO"ofys <Akhss 0bMs -
 State employees are being paid what is shown to be an excessive figure for travelling expenses. when travel ing in their own private cars, ana cut in the amount so allowed them is recommended in a report submitted to Gov. W. W. Brandon today by c. C. Brooks, assistant examiner of &C., counts, who has investigated reports of extravagant cost to the state for expenses on private cars of state em- ployes used in state service. Exami- ner Brooks declared that the cost to the state for travelling expenses in these private cars are often grossly disproportionate to the actual cost of such transportation" He recom- mended that where practicable the private car for business be elimi- mated, and that state officials and employees be provided with cars; while in cases where they continue to use their private cars, the examiner rec commended a cut from the present al- either automobiles or motorcycles to ' cents for autos and cents for mo- torcyeles.
 More Economical Course.
 Figures quoted by Examiner Brooks show that the disproportion referred to makes the cost to the state for transportation of it's em- ployes in their own cars nearly dou- ble that of certain big business con- cerns, and far above the cost of transportation of forces of the state highway department who travel in state owned cars. The examiner stated that it will be more economic cal for the state to provide it's em-S plbyea who travel regularly by auto mobile wikk F'oras, pay all expenses 8 ssis ahnce &.sA operation and prevent as lar as possible it's use for. private purposes."
 The report of Examiner Brooks was The result. of an ihvestigation which he has been making for some time. pursuant to instructions from the eX- ecutive office through Judge Charles E. Mccall. chief examiner Of ac- counts, the investigation being made to determine the cost of automobile transportation and the best basis of 90 transporting state employees.
 The report referred to the fact that partment on official business have been furnished by the state with au- ton. obiles. while some other employees of the state have furnished their own and motorcycles and been at the rate of 10 cents per mile traveled for either automobile or motorcycle.
 Ten Cents Too Much.
 '"phe claims for reimbursement for the expenses incurred in travelling in this manner presented to the chief examiner of accounts for audit and have demonstrated the fact
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The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
LEEDS TO SUPPLY
 ATLAS WITH BAGS
Cement Company Will Erect Big Plant In Birmingham
 District

One of the three factories in the south for the manufacture of cement bags will be built during the next few months by the Atlas Portland Cement company at Leeds, it be- came known Friday.
 While details of size or capacity of the new factory. or the number of persons to be employed, have not as yet; been worked out, it is under stood that the output will be suf- ficient to take care of the needs of southern and western plants of the Atlas company, which operates nine cement mills in the United States. The company at present has bag factory at Northampton. Pa, for the manufacture of its own bags. but this plant is insufficient to supply the de- mand.
 The factory at Leeds will turn out many thousands of bags day.
 The company recently acquired the property at Leeds where the bag fac tory will be erected. and plans are now being drawn for it.
 The only other cement bag m0nu- factories in the south are located at Richmond and New Orleans, though the nearness of the raw material which is cotton, and favorable labor and other conditions, are regarded as superior. advantages which the south have over factory sites in other sec tf0nS
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
D|M|CK REELECTED SCOUT PRESIDENT
Birmingham Council Shows Progress In All Depart
 ments During Year

D. B. Dimicls was reelected presi- dent of the Birmingham Boy Scout council at a meeting of the council at the Southern club Friday eve- ming. Fred " Underwood, R. A. Porter and F. H. Mohns were elected vice presidents. D. E. Taliaferro was elected treasurer; w. E. Mitchell, commissioner. and G. I. Mcdonald, assistant, deputy commissioner.
 J. D. Rosenberger, Karl Landgrebe, Colman Blach, Dr. W. R. Hendrix, Claude H. Estes, l.. Frazer Banks, Milton Fies, E. H. Andrews, Julian P. Smith. c. A. Moffett, George T. Wofford, R. H; whorton, Louis Gel Burchfield, George McClaary and W. c. McDonald were eiectsu to the ex- ecutive board. s,s4 The officers were nominated by a committees composed of Lt Frazer Banks. chairman. E. J. Rowe and Claude Estes and were unanimously elected.
 The meeting is held annually to elect officers and hear reports from the different departments. MT. Dim- ick's report showed great increase in all forms of scouting during 1923 over 1922. The 66 troops in 1922 has been increased to S5; GA scoutmas- ters to 79; Is new troops admitted to 34; 1,273 scouts enrolled to 1855 a gain of 45 per cent; 192 merit badges to 2s7; 3,014 attending Camp Andrews to 4,2O1.
 o o o
 Report On Camp.
 In the report of MT. Dimick, spe- cial attention was paid to Camp Am drews. It is felt that large share of scout activity must be centered around some place and that Camp Andrews Is one of the most im- portant phases of the work. Each troop erects it's own cabin and pays weekly trips, whom possible. to the comp. The camp includes 17b acres of land and is about 14 miles from the city. A sanitary water supply is maintained by the use of pipes and well, both installed this year. house of considerable size for the use of eagle scouts alone.
 The financial statement of Colman Blach, treasurer, was considered sat- isfactory and showed balance in the bank of almost 8 $1,000 although approximately $25,000 was spent in improving Camp Andrews alone.
 Other reports were as follows. all of which were voted satisfactory: Karl Landgrebe, camping depart ,nent; l.. Frazer Banks, training commission: John McCleary. Jr.. or- ganization commission; L. l.. Doty, court of honor; Roland L. shine. ex- ecutive report, and l.. Frazer Banks, the nominating committees report.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
ROUTE CARS VIA AYE. [ ID
 POST OFFICE
Company Proposes To Re- move Tracks Entirely On Fifth Avenue Between 18th Street And Terminal
CITY IS AGREEABLE AS SERVICE NOT HAMMERED
Receivers Say HdeWater Line Has Always Lost Money And Solution Must Be Found Be-
 fore Receivership Can End

g Street car tracks will be removed from Fifth avenue between the Ter .~mfhal station and Nineteenth street and the ridewater trolley route will station and the Avenue c line in tAvondale, under q plan virtually . agreed on Friday at conference between city commissioners and ot- ficials of. the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company, in connec- company's affairs preparatory to re- leasing it from the hands of re- ceivers.
 Lee c. Bradley and J. s. Pevear. co-receivers. and W. B. White. their attorney, told City Commissioners D. City Attorney W. J. Wynn that a solution of the Tidewater situation would have to be found before re- organization plans could be com pleted. This line has been operated at a heavy loss and the number oi tinues comparatively small, they said.
 After the conference, President Me Lendon and Commissioner Harrison said it was likely that. petition would be presented to the Alabama public service commission. with. ap- proval of the city, to allow Vide water cars to discontinue operation between the railroad station and the intersection of Forty-first street ana Avenue c. A final conference on the subject will be held next week, they announced.
 Avoid Working Hardship.
 .The oD-reeeivers," said Commits S96ner Harrison, say that by re- '-routing Tidewater cars over the Ave- nue c tracks they could>avoid work Ing hardship on the public. They propose to connect the Avenue c K line at point where at loops around the block bounded by Twentieth and Twenty-flrst streets and Second and Third avenues. on to lines that wiii Asronnect 1t with Fifth avenue in the vicinity Of the post office, continuing the service to Ens1ey and other su- burbs. Thus, according to the re- ceivers, abandonment of the old Tide water route between the Terminal station and Avenue c will in no way hurt the service, but will save the company considerable money"
 By taking up the Fifth avenue tracks, Commissioner Harrison said E}}e city would be enabled to go for Ward with it's plan to make white w ay boulevard out of this thorough Flare between the Terminal station and Nineteenth street.
 "I believe this is the best thing to do," he declared. Moreover, Presl- dent McLendon and believe the real ly useful portions of the Tidewater
 (Continued on Page T,vv0)
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
Tennessee Still Rising And
 River Expected To Attain
 Its Crest Today-Concrete
 Plant Reported Endangered CATTLE FLOATING DOWN RIVER CRUSHED BY PIERS Railroad Tracks Raised And Workmen Pressed into Serv-
 ice To Prevent Damage To
 Other Portions Of Structure
MUSCLE SHOALS BUREAU l
 THE AGE-HERALD ! Sheffield. Ala Jan |

Officials and workers at Wilson dam were making heroic efforts to- night to save the work on the job from damage threatened by the in- creasingly high waters of the Ten nessee river, which continues to rise. swollen by the heavy rains which nave fallen throughout the large ter ritory.
 The waters already have swept cattle from islands up the river down to the dam and dashed their bodies against the tiers. The electric sta tion at Florence was out of commis = sion early this afternoon, and the waters had flooded the concrete mix ing plant.
 Cofferdams Safe.
 Colonel Spaulding, United States army engineer in charge, said to. night that there was no danger of the cofferdams being flooded. although the river is still rising. The crest is expected to be reached some time Saturday. Soundings taken by the weather bureau today showed a rise of 20 feet in the river. . Little damage will result from the flooding of the concrete mixing uiant, it is said. All workmen were preased into service in an effort to prevent damage to other parts of the con- struction work on the giant dana Railroad tracks leading to tAS mixing plant were raised during kk% Ray 'as a -""tective measure. Spe6iaf efforts
 ~fg aeif z gi@ sr +o the situation at ..t teH N. D. y1.Yt d.i ~
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
WOFFORD OIL co. LOSES ITS CASE
Federal Court Rules In Favor
 Of Standard Oil Company

J ATLANTA, Ga, Jan. 4.-The Wo&r 3ord oil company of this city today lost it's complaint in district federal foprt against the Standard Oil com 4pany of Kentucky, the Gulf Refining kompany of Texas and the Galena EgnaI oil company, which it claimed lad operated in restraint of trade. iMdge W. H. Sibley dismissed the Blaintiffs petition for an injunction holding that the case did not come within the scope of either the Clay ton or Sherman antitrust acts.
 Judge Sibley handed down his ruling after hearing of two days. The local company contended that fhe three defendant companies sold gasoline below cost and gave rebates ,te customers. thus practicing unfair &omDetition.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
INJUNCTION IS DENIED
Judge Refuses To Restrain Con-
 stEmctinr. nR 32 Miles nf Railrnnd

Judge Refuses To Restrain Con-
 structiOn Of g. Miles of Railroad
 LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Jan. A. Judge Jacob Trieber today denied q petition for an injunction filed ill federal court here which sought to restrain the Arkansas Short Line railroad from constructing line from Mcdonald. Cross county, to Truman, Poinsett county, a distane- of 32 miles. The petition for an iu- Junction was filed by the Cairo, rru- man and Southern railroad with headquarters in St. Louis.
 The petition asserted that the Arkansas Short Line would parallel its road and that authority had not been obtained from the interstate commerce commission. The dcfend- ant company claimed authority for the building of the line had been granted by the Arkansas railroad commission and the permission from the interstate commerce commission was not necessary, as it would not engage in interstate business.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
WOULD SAVE SOUTH SETBACK
 |lF RATES REDUCED LN WEST
Alabama Farm Federation Will Appeal For De- creases In This Section If Grain Tariff
 Is Cut By Order Of C. C.

ATLANTA, Ga, Jan. 4.-(By Asso- ciated Press.)-The Alabama farm bureau federation will ask the inter- state commerce commission that in case it reaches a decision to grant redutions in grain rates of the west it also order decreases in the south so as to preserve the existing re- laticnship between the two sections, NJ. M. Caskie, general manager of the transportation division of the or- ganization announced tonight.
 MT. Caskie's announcement was made following the conclusion of to- days sessions of a hearing the conn mission is conducting here on the advisability of providing lower grain rates.
 "we are not advocating general reductions in grain and hay rates" !" Mr. Caskie said, but we take the po- sition that since our rates between points in the south are among the highest in the country. certainly If any reduction Is ordered in the west, the same decrease should be made in the south, so as to preserve the existing relationship.
 'If the commission should give tho west reduced rates and not order a reduction also in the south, the re- suit would be to place the west at a great advantage over the south."
 J. H. A1dridge, rate expert of the Alabama public service commission, testified that his state now is af- footed by two grain rate levels. one existing in the Mississippi river val ley territory and the other in the southeast. He asked that if the in- terstate commerce commission should decide upon a reduction 1t so dis tribute the decrease as to bring the two levels nearer together.
 O O O
 Exchanges FIX Prices.
 Martin A. Morouse, a Marietta, Ga, farmer, told the commission that the cost of production and freight rates do not figure in the price paid the planter for his produce. The price Is fixed, he testified, in speculative exchanges"
 what the farmers need," he con-
The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-01-05
PEACE C0MES| EYER PARK.
 BOARD WN,
Meeting Will Be Next
 Week For Cons $ .g Bly,
 Laws And Data un Park
 Work Done In Other Cities LANDSCAP ENGINEER TO SUPERINTEND ALL WORK
Former Differences Passed
 Over, Harrison States, So Task May Go Forward For
 Best Interests Of The Public

Peace on the Birmingham park board was announced Friday morn ing in the city hall.
 On a day later to be chosen, the board will meet next week and start functioning to better the parks and playgrounds of Birmingham.
 City Commissioner w. Harrison stated Friday morning that it ap- peared to him the board will be per- manently organized and will now initiate its work in feal earnest, with the indication that such dif- ferences that may nave prevailed will be passed over.'
 Mir. Harrison. chairman of the next week at which time the by laws committee; Mrs. Charles J. Sharpe, Elmer c. Thurston and Lew is Bowen, will make its report.
 Mir. Harrison will present de- tailed compendium of information conceSning finances, and dealing improved. He has been in commit nication with park and landscape en- gineers of repute in several cities with a view to presenting before the board infcrmtion which will aid in the employment of a person or firm to make survey of the Bir- data will be available for guidance and that the work may go forward along comprehensive lines as early as possible.
 MT. Harrison has for placement before the board several names of competent landscape engineers, one of whom may be employed; to take nh ~ /sr-1~1r fsa 4n norf, a v.
 It becameA known at the organi- zation=ef the boaEdssorne weeks ago that funds aggregating more than S100,000 aree yAilable for use of the park board. as 1 starter. but 1t is conceded by authorities that this finances desired to place the parks and playgrounds of Birmingham in a condition parallel with similar de- veiopment in other cities the size of Birmingham.
 Members or the board including NJ. P. Phillips, it became known Fri day, have all been busy collecting prove of service in the initial steps to be taken in getting the board un- derway on a working basis. This data will be considered along with other information at the meeting next week.
 A partial lfst or Blrmlngham park properties. based on values of sew eral years ago, indicates total worth of about $1,415,150. A new it Is believed, would radi- cally change the value of many of these parks today. bringing the total close to the $2,50o,000 mark. The list is as follows:
 Park Property.
 Avondale, Forty-first street and Fifth avenue, south; acres. S7S value. $126,000.
 Behrens, Twelfth street and Ave- nue H; acres, 5.2 value, SS5,000.
 Caldwell, Twenty-sixth street and Highland avenue; acres, 2.S; value, $60.000.
 Central, Forty eighth street and
 (Cantfnued on Page TWO)