The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-15
AGAINST STATE WELFARE

the fixing of valuation on the properties of the Alabama Power Company, made with all evidence of haste but with no evidence of necessity, is that Associate Commissioners Gaillard and Cooper, who forced the fixing of the valuations over the protest of the president of the commission, were both re- pudiated by the elect, rate of Alabama when, in asking indorsement of their record in of flee, they were overwhelmingly defeated in them, when seeking indorsement of their rec ord, carried his own home town or county of residence. Such complete rejection by the voters has seldom been witnessed in the political life of Alabama.
 They gave the Alabama Power Company a valuation; but there is a flaw in the title. The public will not accept the valuation made in haste and without necessity, in view of the charge of the president of the com mission that the original costs of the prop erty to the company stockholders were not taken into consideration in making the val uation. If it be said that the valuation is less than the power company's estimate, that will not be conclusive for the reason that the law says original cost must be taken into consideration, and the president of the commission says this was not done.
 A proper sense of moral responsibility to their office and to the people should have deterred Messrs. Cooper and Gailard from forcing the setting of a valuation barely in time to make it effective before they leave their office, which the people have said they cannot occupy after January Is; but would have caused them to pass the question for it's adjudication by their successors in office, who received overwhelming indorse- ment by the people of the peoples eonfi- dence. Did they not by their nasty action show a larger friendiness to the power com pany than concern for the people?
 Since, according to present law, valua- ton once fixed is permanent and may not be changed by the commission, it is per ceived that the new commissions hands may be forever tied in respect to the valua- ton of this utility. Why should Messrs. Cooper and Gailard show unwillingness to leave this matter to more careful and searching inquiry of the incoming commis- sioners? Is it because the power company was unwilling to wait? Will that not re- suit, in the mind of the people, as sufficient reason why there should have been delay? From the public viewpoint the decision is hereafter pay rates fixed on the valuation just adopted. If that valuation is too high, then the people must pay to the power com pany profit on an investment it has not made, and that in face of the fact that the power company owes to the people of Ala bama it's very right to exploit the power development of this state.
 The thinking people of Alabama will ob- serve this incident with regret. Thoughtful citizens may well fear that it will precipitate a situation that may prove disturbing to the broader welfare of the state. There can be but one government: A government by the officials chosen by the people to repre- sent them. There cannot be even remotely ment. If the issue becomes one of the su- premacy of the peoples government against the government of vested or corporate n- terests, whether it be an interest represent ing transportation, utilities, or whatever form, there can be no hesitation on the part of the citizenship where it must take its stand
 This citizenship, we feel sure, wants no such issue drawn, for it could only be result ful of harm to those corporate interests of the state who are willing to work in harmony with the public, and would thus delay the wider development of the material Je- sources of the state; for if there should be wave of resentment against this recent exhlbitlon ol in1iuence py the power cohi- pany it would only have itself to blame. The deeper concern would be for the cor porations of the state, who show willingness to work in harmonious relations with due regard for the rights of the public, who might be drawn, most unhappily, into the maelstrom of popular movement against corporations per SC when no act of theirs