The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-09-11
LETTERS TO EDITOR
Our Next Governor

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 The candidates for governor in the ap- preaching campaign must face this ques- ton. Shall the act creating the Ala hama public service commission pc amended so as to restore to the cities and towns of the state, the authority heretofore held by them in the matter ~ol the control or their public utilities!
 What the people are very much con
 earned about, and what they would like
 very much to know is this: Who IS IL
 that will have the courage and the non
 est conviction to lead the fight In this
 state to restore to the Fpeople their lost
 rights. that ancient heritage, the right
 of home rule in their home affairs. and
 local self-government There are l25
 cities and towns in Alabama. who lost
 control of their public utilities by the
 act of the last legislature, creating the
 Alabama public service commission. To-
 day, these governing bodies are shorn of
 their power, and they exercise but little
 more authority than the average chlef
 clerk in an office. The big interests pre-
 fer to unite their strength and try to
 elect at least two members of the public
 service commission, than to run the
 gauntlet with the people before the gov
 erning bodies of the cities and towns of
 the state The chief sinner, who shares
 more responsibility for the passage of
 this law, at the hands of the last leg1s-
 lature, is the Alabama Power company.
 It's strong and active lobby worked like
 beavers for the passage of this law.
 Ten years ago, the Alabama Power
 company came to this state in the role of a Deggar. With it's that in hand. it begged the legislature to allow 1t to come into the state with the privilege of buying, owning and developing vast water rights, power lines and plants, and water com panies, for a period of 10 years, without paving any taxes. Reliable information | is to the effect that it now owns in this state not less than s15.000,000 in property, on which 1t pays no taxes. It is rapidly buying up the franchises, power plants and accommodating water rights of great values. Not content with it's activities in grabbing up those valuable rights without any return to the people, they pay no taxes on their new developments l for 10 years, and undertake to contro the politics of the state. They had greai success with the last legislature. I re gard this concern the greatest menace that confronts the people of Alabama. 1 Under the present status of affairs, thu average citizen cannot afford to bring | his complaint before the Alabama public service commission for a hearing Int great expense involved makes it prohibi tory It means one must employ law yer, who must prepare the complaint ant l go to Montgomery with his witnesse, and evidence, and there suffer general, 1 from continuance of his case, and hav'
 the same drag wearily through man,
 long months, when he will probably ge | ruling against him.
 l The people of the state are going t, l fight to recover these lost rights. The. 1 feel that corporations should pay taxe like the average citizens must do. Oh 1 for strong man who will make tn l fight for governor to restrain these bii | interests. who will not play the gam l fairly. We need such candidate. H 1 must speak openly and unmistakably ol
 this pressing question. The people vii not be satisfied with less. We plail
 people intend to bring these question
 before the candidates before the election
 and a ral honest governor, who stand for popular rights will win our support We cannot afford to have any other kin, I apply. Very truly. JERE C. KING. Birmingham. September 9. 1917.