The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-22
MoNTGOMERY LIGHT AND WATER
POWER COMPANY.

| montgomery, Alabama, June 21st, 1904
~ the Members of The Commercial
| and Industrial Association:
assume. as all other citizens of
| montgomery have assumed from the
| avowed purpose of your Association.
tnat 1t is the intent of The Commercial
ana Industrial Association to advance
.ne pest interests of this city and its
INHABITANTS. To that end, of course
the principles of your Association would
constrain 1t to do impartial justice to
every individual or corporation doing
business In the city, and thus contrib
ute TO It's welfare and prosperity. There
can De no doubt but that the Mont
gomery Light and Water Power Com
pany. whom represent as manager.
mas invested large amount of money
In this city, and has, with no complaint
from your Association, and with no
complaint from our customers, which
| we have not been ready. at all times, to
| answer, done its full duty towards the
city and It's Inhabitants. You may we'll
understand how surprised I was, as
representing my company. to hear from
Mr. Gilbert, your Secretary. that, at a
meeting of your Board of Directors, on
the 18th instant which was called for
| the sole purpose of making arrange
| ments for securing the encampment of
| the State troops, letter was presented
| and considered from the Citizens Light
| Heat and Power Company making d
proposition to furnish the Association
with electric current for lighting its
rooms for five years. This proposition
was received and accepted at said meet
ing, without any opportunity being
given the Montgomery Light and Water
| Power Company to put in a competitive
bid I respectfully submit that this
action was not in accordance with tine
| alleged spirit of your organization, and
it worked great injustice on the Mont
gomery Light and Water Power Com
pany. which has faithfully served your
Association in the past. 1t Is also in
| consistent, moreover, with the former
actions of the Commercial and Indus
trial Association, notably In a case
| where the Montgomery Light and Pow
er Company, our predecessor, was ap.
plying for a franchise to use the streets
of the city for laying gas mains, etc.
and for furnishing gas for the city and
its inhabitants. At that time your AS
ISOLATION protested that further compe-
tition was just and desirable, but cir
cumstances and persons seem to alter
principles with your Association.
am informed that your Board of Direc-
tors, including the President consists
of thirteen members. At the meeting
lcalled for on the 18th instant, on entire
ly foreign purposes, as stated, there
were only seven men present. OF these
four at least were either stockholders
or officials of the Citizens Light, Heat
and Power Company majority
Can it be that the adscitious presence
of this majority caused this PROPOSE
ton to be received and accepted It
was a singular coincident, to put 1t
mildly. The Montgomery Light and
Water Power Company have at all
times been prepared to make competi-
tive bids. 1t seems to me that simple
justice to the Montgomery Light and
Water Power Company requires that
your Association should investigate
this singular occurrence and see that
full justice is done In the premises.
Is the Commercial and Industrial As
ISOLATION to be used to advance the sell
fish ends of any of its officials? Are
they justified In using their official po-
sitions in any such selfish manner? If
so, it seems to me that the days of USE
fulness of this institution Is numbered.
for l feel that the rank and file of its
membership will not long endure SUCH
a policy If the Montgomery Light
and Water Power Company had been
granted the privilege of competing and
then lost. not one word OF complaint
would have been heard from us, but
this was not done.
1 am a member of the Association,
| and several of the stockholders are
members thereof, but beyond all this
no such Migrant injustice as this should
be done to any corporation of this city
without having the reasons therefor
made public.
| Respectfully yours,
| r. J. Chambers,
adv. Manager.