The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-15
Weatherly Believes It Feasi- ble to Use North Bir-
 mingham Plant PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
 IS SURE TO COME Start Should Be Made By Supplying Current Only for Light and
 Power Used By the
 City Itself

days by the Board of Commissioners to begin preparation for the North Blrmlng- ham light plant for supplying Birming- ham city buildings with electric current. Commissioner James weatherly in an in- terview given yesterday agreed literally with the resolution of Commissioner A. O. Lane that the plant should be made ef- fcient and the enormous light bill paid each year by Birmingham to the Brming- ham Railway, Light and Power company cut down to the smallest possible figure. Judge Lane, Commissioner weatherly and President Culpepper Exum will have 8 conference perhaps with Martin J. Lide one of the best known electrical engineers in the district. He has already been in conference with the commissioners indi- vidually and started the bee to buzzine to provide the city of Birmingham with electric power to supply the needs of the city.
 With Commissioners Lane and Weath- erly favoring the plan and perhaps Pres ident Exum. and with MT. Lide, who has erected plants for various large corpor- atons in this district, giving it as his opinion that the plan is feasible, the indi- cations point to the ultimate realization of the plans success.
 The light plant at North Birmingham, according to opinions of some engineers, is no good On the other hand MT. Lide, equally as capable as the pessimistlc, avows that no sum of money over 5000 is required to place the plant in excellent physical condition to furnish all the cleo tricity of the municipal corporation,
 Only Serious Question
 The question of transmitting the electric current from the plant to the various city buildings, including the schools for their exhaust fans, and to the fire stations, is the only serious aspect, according to the experts That may be obviated by the city contracting with some public utility corporation for pole service and granting concessions of friendliness to that com pany sufficient to bring about a cooper ation feeling between the commission and whatever company is dealth with.
 In connection with the public ownership of the utility corporations Commissioner Weatherly yesterday said that he was very much in favor of Birminghams own ing them. Not so much for the commer- cial sale at this time, but for the city's good and financial betterment. He says there is some doubt of the city's having the charter right to enter into, business competitive with the Birmingham Rail- way, Light and Power company or an other public service corporation.
 In discussing this most important ques- ton Commissioner Weatherly coincided with Judge Lanes resolution in almost every particular, and in addition he said:
 "There is a distinction in the question of the North Birmingham plant that must be drawn in order to keep the public from being misinformed as to our opin- ions and intentions.
 To Supply Municipality
 "The first is that I personally believe, along with Judge Lane and others, that the plant at North Birmingham. owned by the city. should be so arranged as to supply electric current to Birming- ham. That means the public buildings for the municipal corporation. have some doubt as to whether our charter will per init us to arrange the current proposi- tion so as to retail 1t to the consumers as a competitor of a public service cor poration. And, in addition to that, the final sale of current or another com modity by the city of Birmingham is not for the present, but for the future to determine. If we have the right and can organize the needed machinery to sell whatever current we may have al North Birmingham to consumers, ther am for it unalterably.
 "I have stated time and again in pub lie board meetings that I am a public ownership of utility corporations man I have voted against the sale of thu plant at North Birmingham and would do so again if the question was placed before the voters of this community. "I have never yet failed to take seri ousy any question put up to the com missioners for solution Nor have I eve | imgained that the board failed to talk | it's work seriously. We are there to giv' | Birmingham and her people the bes which within us lies and everything frotr the smallest charity license to the mos
 weighty public policy must and is taker seriously and decided along those lines
 "The question of lights from Nortf |