The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-27
Frank Statement of Plans Made at Lock 12 in Presence of Birmingham Guests
FEW APPRECIATE
 MAGNITUDE OF THE
 TASK UNDERTAKEN
Says No One Can Prosper by Seeking to Destroy the Properties of An other
By ELLIS c. HoLLUMs

By ELLIS U. HULL MS President James Mitchell of the Ala bama Power company, at Lock F on the Coosa river, yesterday, told the mem bers of the Birmingham Rotary club something of the work of his company and of it's aims and purposes in Alabama, saying that the developments being car ried out in Ala abama were under the di- rection of young men who cherished ideals in business; who desired to leave behind them monuments to their life work.
 There are many of us who still cherish ideals in our york; said MT. Mitchell and these young men who have been engaged with me in this great undertak- ing have been actuated by the good they could accomplish rather than what they could make for themselves out of it financially
 CAPTAIN LAYS WORK
 ''So great has been the task and so determined the opposition to some of our projects, that as many as 20 different times we would gladly have gotten out of it entirely had matters been so ar- ranged that we could have done so. The COIHDdny owes Inutil lO Ndpl Ns lsdy of Gadsden. It was entirely due to MT. Lay that we were enabled to begin this work on the Coosa, after having made great plans for the development of the Tallapoosa river. It was he who saved our company a great loss by enabling us to change our plans, for the Tallapoosa so they could be carried out on the Coosa, 1o,, y,r;n fo Awe, to Alabama he and other citizens of Alabama had secured the consent of Congress to make the Lock P development
 We have here what is the finest hy- dro-electric installation in the world, bar none We have two heavy copper cir cults running directly into Birmingham and we will have, in the course of time, four separate and distinct lines running into Birmingham, and when this is ac- ccmplished it will be practically impos- sible for Birmingham, by any chance whatsoever, to be deprived of electric cur rent for lighting and power, even for a day.
 We realize that the great political parties are beginning to suffer from a great shortage of arguments, and now and then some party leader looks up a public utility on which to lay the blame, and proceeds to start an argument. I don't know what we can do to stop it, but corporations, because they are large, should not be made a political choppng block.
 DESTROYING OTHERS
 Now, in Birmingham recently this company has been attacked on various issues and we are criticized for not go- ing into Birmingham and cutting rates destroying values that already exist and capital that is already invested in prop critics there. It has never been my wish to make money by destroying the prop critics of someone else; but rather by creating values where none existed be- fore. know thousands of places where I can go and invest my money in creat- ing new values and the people would be glad to have me do it.
 T want to see Birmingham grow, but don't believe that legislation which tends to destroy established commercial values will bring any benefit to the city Bir- mingham, for it's own good, should see that the companies now in business there are protected. If they want to own the lighting and power system of the city, or to establish an opposition system they should take over the present properties and recompense the owners for it.
 If we want capital to come to Bir- mingham, our argument, when we ask for it, must be smooth and straight and there must be no blotches on our escutcheon."
 MARTIN SPEAKS BRIEFLY
 MT. Mitchell's address was enthu- siastically received, as was Mr. Mitch- ell himself. He was introduced by Thomas w. Martin, counsel for the Alabama Power company and Ro- tarian, whose remarks preceded those made by MT. Mitchell
 Run back in your memory lit- tie less than four years and you will see this place in a state of nature" said MT. MartiN waving his hand s.l an all-embracing <esture as the guests looked toward the huge power house and the great dam backing the waters of the Coosa for miles inland Less than four years ago this construction was begun and it stands before you today finished. polished result If I could bring before you some of the troubles of construction, the difficult ties which had to be surmounted, you would appreciate the vastness of the undertaking"
 MT. Martin explained how the or ganization of the Alabama Power com pany was effected, calling attention to the fact that the present company is an outgrowth of the first Alabama Power company, organized in 1906 by citizens of Alabama, who desired to