The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-13
Says Associate Commission
ers Intend to Make Tentative
Valuation of the Alabama
Power Company Which Is
Later to Be Perpetual One
WARNS SUCH STEP WILL
BE CONTRARY TO LAW
In Exposing Plan, He Does
so to Advise the People Who
Recently Repudiated Both
Associates at Polls and
Who Soon Retire, He Says
STATE CAPfTAE BUREAU
THE AGE HERALD.

Declaring that the Alabama Power
company had failed until Tuesday to
furnish the commission with informa-
ton regarding the original cost of its
property in Alabama, A. G. Patter
son, president of the Alabama public
service commission, in a statement
late Tuesday night, said B. H. Cooper
and S. p. Gaillard, associate COM
missioners, proposed to render de-
cision at once in publishing tenta-
tive valuation of the property of the
Alabama Power company without
considering the original cost Of the
property, an element which the law
says shall be considered.
Mr.. Patterson said the associate
commissioners intend to render de-
cisione establishing tentative valua-
ton before December l6 in order
that any rehearing requested by the
company, or protest by the company
may be considered by them before the
end of their terms, and final valua-
ton may be established by them
He said records showing the
original cost of the property was not
presented until Tuesday, and that
M. w. Aldridge, accountant Of the
commission, would be in the office
of the Alabama Power company at
Birmingham Wednesday morning for
IL = .,,,r,a.a ~ ,.,aLipU ~, fnsnaotian
of the records.
sees No Heed for Haste
Mr.. Patterson further said there Is
no immediate need for a valuation as
no cases involving the rates OF the
Alabama Power company arc now
pending. He pointed out that tenta-
tive valuation must be established by
December Is IL the associate commits
81 toner's intend to establish final
valuation by the end of their terms.
The statement of Mr.. Patterson fol-
lows:
I'm utter disregard for that Sec
tiln Of the public utility act which
provides that the public service COM
mission shall take into consideration
the original cost in determining the
valuation OF a public utility and n
disregard of the fact that the Ala
bama Power company did not until
from which the proper information
may be at hand. associate members
Of the public service commission. =.
fl. Cooper and s. r. Gaillard, propose
without further delay TO issue an er-
der establishing a tentative valuation
ON the property of the Alabama Pow
er company
.sWhen the commission adjourned
a conference on the valuation at s
~ fnnf0ht Va neoHfupe
notion which had been seconded
providing that the commission go into
conference at once for the purpose
of fixing this valuation. 1t will be
disappointing Information to the
large number Of persons Of Alabama
who want the public service eom-
mission TO fix valuation on the
property of the company which will
be based on justice both to the util-
ity and to those whom 1t serves.
Unprepared for II, He says
1.-THE commission is not prepared
TO establish a tentative valuation in
accordance with law, not because Of
any lack of diligence on the part
Of the commission and its account
ants and engineers. but because the
Alabama Power company until today
had not made available the records
which the commission under the law
udS d FASht 10 tAdHitut IN uSteFlnlr-
ing what valuation should be estab-
lished.
For several months Mr. NJ W.
Aldridge, accountant of the commits
sion, and Mr.. l. F. Mcdonnell. engi-
neer of the COMM ssion, had sought
to obtain from the Alabama Power
company the right to inspect the rec-
ord showing the original cost of THE
company's holdings in Alabama. On
last Friday the Alabama Power CONF
pany produced before the commission
Continued ON page Ele.en.)