The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-12
BOYD GETS IDEAS
ON BOSTON TRIP
Finds Much to Encourage
City's WaterwOrks Suit
READS DECISIONS
Says Boston Is Troubled With Speed
ers Even as Birmingham and
Has Chief Trouble in
the Suburbs

IF the optimism of City Attorney Ro-
maine Boyd can be taken as clue, in
dieations are that there is small DOUBT
but what the Alabama supreme court
will decide the waterworks case very
much in favor of the city of Birming-
ham. Mr. Boyd has just returned from
two weeks vacation in Boston and
vicinity. The state supreme court VIII
decide the waterworks case, IT is eN-
pected, the early part of November.
The case affects some $4,000 citizens
of Birmingham.
A large reason for Mr. Boyds pro-
nounced optimism in regard to the wa
terworks decision is contained in his
statement yesterday that during his So
iourn in Boston he spent considerable
time in the great law library there and
as u result discovered several court de-
cisions which are immensely favoraoie
to the city in the waterworks case tha'
is now pending before the state su-
preme court. When asked how the
discovery OF these decisions could In
any way affect the coming decision
Mr.. Boyd said that the members OF
the supreme court of Alabama would
no doubt welcome any precedents tha'
could be cited for them and that he
would merely call the attention OF the
justices to the discoveries he had
made.
Gas Rate Question
an one or two little trips L maae
to cities about Boscton l also mace
some further investigation of the gas
rate question which for some time mas
been agitated in Birmingham stated
Mr.. Boyd yesterday. 81 found addl-
tional evidence tending to support our
contention that the rates in blrmihs-
ham should be lower than they are at
the present time. All these matters
will be taken up at general conference
to be held in the near future between
the city attorney and the board OF COM
missioners.
II found something in Massachusetts
which, appealed to me as being an eN-
ceptionally good thing, and | beleVe
it is but a matter of few years untii
we will have the same thing IN Ala
bama. l would not be surprised TO see
action taken by the next legislature,
Public Service Commissions
'In Massachusetts they have pubic
service commission and a gas and cleo
trio light commission. The gas ano
electric light commission, If | remem-
Der correctly. is composed of three men
and is a comparatively old institution
in that state 1t is a body of state Of
feials which has been in existance
some 10 years and which regulates
the gas and electricity rates and has
general supervision over the corpof-
ations dealing with these two COM
modities in all cities in the state. The
| commission issues an annual report
covering every light and gas company
| in the state, which is one of the most
eomprehensive documents ! have ever
seen put out by state department
It appears to be even more eomprehen-
siye than the report of our state au-
ditor. OF course on account or the
small urban population of Alabama as
compared with Massachusetts,, the work
of such commission in this state
would not be nearly SO voluminous.
1.-The public service commission is a
new state department. only being in
Iaugurated this year. 1t was formed out
of the former railroad commission such
as we now have in Alabama. But now
this commission, instead of dealing
alone with steam railroads, deals with
practically every public utility corpor-
alton in the state in their relations
with the public. This great commission
regulates railroad rates, telephone
rates, street car rates. telegraph rates
corporation franchises and all such
kindred matters. 1t appeals to me as
being a great step toward more ef-
ficient state government and / believe
Alabama will soon take up the matter.
IN,
While Mr.. Boyd primarily was on a
vacation trip, he confessed that from an
ordinary mans view point he probably
had spent a pretty strenuous vacation
He made the trip up and back by boat
as far Savannah, which he states
afforded him an ideal opportunity for
real rest. While in Boston. however, the
well known energy of Attorney Boyd
kept him constantly on the go and he
spent much time in research work in
the law library there and in gathering
data on various subjects which are
very important in Birmingham at pres
ent.
Troubled With Speeders
II noticed that Bostons traffic laws
are almost identical with ours" said
Mr.. Boyd, and they are troubled uI
there with speeders Just as we are
here. Every morning the papers recite
some speeders wreck or accident ano
you almost forget that you're not read
ing a Birmingham paper. Just like Bir-
mingham, they are bothered worst ir
the suburbs, where they cannot keel
policemen on every block and they are
finding 1t difficult to make arrests. Bu
they are actively at work running TIL,
speeders to earth and they do not fai
to fine them heavily when they ge
one. It's good sometimes to know tina
others have troubles besides our
selves