The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-04
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Revoking Permit for Gas Mains n tIo D.J;X.. Tho

To the Editor of The ge-Herald:
 The action by the city commission in revoking the permit issued to the Bir- mingham Railway, Light and Power com pany to lay gas to the city limits at Ems
 ley deserves the commendation of the cit izens, and it is a startling statement made by the city engineer that the permit is- sued to lay such mains was obtained by false representations.
 Public service corpora tions cannot ex- pect to receive, ana do not deserve, the good will of the public when they resort to underhand methods as a means of ob- taining even a legitimate purpose, and still less, to obtain an undue advantage. Conceding for the sake of argument to the general manager of the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company the most honest motives It cannot be said that the Birmingham Railway Light and Power company, after the main had been laid and completed from the by-product plants to the plant of the company on Third avenue and Fourteenth street, in the city, 1t would then have secured a much more favorable and strategic po- SlllOi u oDldln ITOlll tHt tlty u 11lOIe idN orable contract than 1t would have been if 1t had first applied to the city before laying the mains, and it cannot we'll be doubted that the company was aware of this advantage. In dealing with a public service corporation there are, of course, three main factors to be kept in view by the representatives of the people,: First service; second, prices and rates, and third, just consideration of both the rights of the people and the corpora tion
 The action of the commission in revok- ing the permit was just and proper re- buke for clandestine methods, which the city engineer asserts were employed in this case. Regardless of the intention of MT. DeWindt, he had no right, legally or morally, if he did so, to deceive the city engineer, nor to permit his engineer to make unwarranted statements in order to obtain the desired permit; much less did he have the right to fail to disclose the falsity thereof after learning from his own engineer that the statements had been made by him under misapprehen- sion.
 This gives opportunity to call attention to a matter of great importance to the people of Birmingham. There has long been well-grounded public opinion that the city was not getting for its people a low enough rate for electric light and power a low enough rate for gas for H. illuminating purposes V for fuel. It can not easily be explained why the people of Birmingham are paying to the Bir- mingham Railway, Light and Power com pany a grossly excessive rate for the cur rent purchased by the Birmingham Rail- way, Light and Power company from the Alabama Power company, which latter company produces 1t cheaply and supplies it to the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company at a very low rate, whereas the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company is allowed to resell it to the citizens of Birmingham at an exorbitant rate. The heavy tax thus inn posed upon the people of Birmingham by those indirectly using the natural powers of the state Is enormous and entirely un- just
 The Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company would also be imposing upon the people of Birmingham in buying the by-product gas at a low rate and resellng it to the people of Birmingham at an unjust and high rate. If the Bir- n.ingham Railway, Light and Power com pany wants a franchise to supply by product manufactured by the Tennessee Coal. Iron and Railroad company and en- riched at its own plant, it should be will ing, or if unwilling, should be compelled to give the people of Birmingham some of the benefits derived by it from its con tract with the Alabama Power company and some of the benefits resulting from its contract with the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Railroad company. I am advised by those who have studied the matter and are authorities upon such matters that the rate for electric power in this city should moi exceed cents, while the rate for gas should not exceed 50 cents. with proper safeguard as to quality and pres sure, and under no circumstances should the number of R. T. Y. fall below the present quality of gas. If these authori- ties are correct. the commission should proceed to see that the rates are fixed upon such reasonable basis. Respectfully, c. P. BEDDOW. RirminPham. Sentemher L 1g1R