The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-06
3 | A R , APPOINTS CONRAD H. | H M [ r |E l ] ENGINEER
Own Facilities Added to Keep Tab on Public Service Cor
 porations of State
STATE CAPITAL BEREAU l
 THE AGE-HERALD Montgomery. Ala, April 5 ]
AnnOuncei1l

Announcement was made by the public service commission Thursday afternoon that the department of en- Giaeeringi supervision and inspection had been created with the approval of Governor Brandon and that in the future the commission will maintain it's owt facilities for the investiga- tions and inspections contemplated by the revised public utility and transportation laws of 1920. The an nouncement was made in an official statement issued by A. c. Patterson. president. and H. F. Lee and Frank r. Morgan, associate commissioners.
 l. r. Mcdonnell, consulting enGt- neers, and C. Nandenburg, AIr. Me Donnelrs principal assistant, made contracts with the commission sev- eral days ago whereby they will de- vote their entire time to the work of the commission. The commissions statement Thursday afternoon an- nounced the appointment of Conrad H. Ohme. Birmingham engineer, as inspector and supervisor in the de- partment of engineering, supervision and inspection.
 Mr Ohme will be the field repre- sentative of the commission and will spend his entire time in the state Investigating complaints and obtain ing information needed by the com- mission and adjusting differences
 
 ever possible.
 Provided by Law.
 The laws of 1920 contemplated the maintenance of this department ard Governor Brandon approved it's ere ation, telling the commission the state should not be forced to employ others to gather the information which the law intended the commis- sion should have, indicating cases and maintaining standards of serY- ice to be furnished by public utilities.
 The statement of the commissions follows;
 Carrying out the purpose of the public utility act of 1920 and the companion act the transportation law, the public service commission has created the department Of en- gineering. supervision and inspec- tion. Encouragement has already been made that a contract has been signed with the approval of Governor Bran don whereby l. F. Mcdonnell, con sultng engineer of the commission for several years. and C.. Nanden- burg, principal assistant of MT. Me Donnell, will devote their entire time to the work of the commission.
 The commission now announces the appointment of Conrad H. Ohme of Birmingham as inspector and su- pervisor attached to the department of engineering. Mir. Ohme has had wide experience as an engineer. hav- ing been a member of this profession since 1896 and having been engaged in civil. mining and supervising en- gineering since that time. He has devoted much time to the construc- ton of waterworks, sewer systems and power plants. streets and mu- niclpal public service plants. Among many others, he inspected the con struction of the power dam of ths Tallassce cotton mills.
 O o o
 Keep Tab on Utilities.
 "In the creation of the depart ment of engineering. supervision and inspection the public service com mission proposes to carry out the which require the commission to keep itself constantly informed of the condition of the public utilities serving the people of Alabama.
 Representatives of this depart ment will make such investigations and inspections as the commission may require, will gather information regarding the operations of utilities and the cost of operations and will advise the commission regarding any proposals of utilities for the exten- sion and expansion of their service.
 "The law intends that the commis sion should maintain facilities whereby first-hand information may be available in any matters which come legally to the commission for attention. It is In meeting this pro- vision of the law that the commis- sion, with the approval of Governor Brandon, has created this depart noept''