The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-02-05
House Holds Rate Relief in Its
Hands Delay in Passage
Means Raise to the
Consumer
Continued From Page one)

Continued From Page One)
ton and have such protest heard by
the commission.
Importance of immediate action on
the Brewer bill is being stressed
to members of the house judiciary
committee as we'll as to other repre-
sentatives in the legislature. For in
sstance, should the judiciary commit
tee not report the bill in time for
passage in the house the valuation
will become permanent, and the peo-
pie of Alabama forced to pay the
increased rates. And should the bill
be reported to the house by the COM
mittee and the house fail to pass
it prior to adjournment this week the
new valuation will stand permanent
", for the people will still be denied
right of appeal.
Section 16 of the present utilities
act is amendment by the Brewer bill
so as to give the commission right to
reopen any valuation order hereto
fore made by it and give either the
utility or the public the right of re-
hearing as to any such order here
tofore made, Section It, as amend
ed by the Brewer bill, also gives the
public as well as the utility the right
of protest in case any order OF valu-
alton that may hereafter be made,
and the right 10 have such protest
heard by the commission. 1t fur
Their gives the commission power
after final order of valuation has
been hereafter made, TO review such
order for the purpose of correcting
any errors that may have been made
i'll the original valuation
Gives Same Right to Both
In the case of any valuation or re-
Valuation the Brewer bill provides
that notice, in every instance must be
given to the public as well as the
utility, and gives to both the utility
and the public the same rights, in
GLIDING right of appeal to court. from
the circuit court of Montgomery
county to and including the supreme
court of the state.
In the case of any revaluation in
a proceeding in which the final order
of valuation is hereafter made" the
bill provides, the cost of service of
engineers, accountants, or other ex-
perts, employed and used by the
commission in such revaluation pro-
ceeding, shall be borne by the COM
mission where such revaluation is
by the commission, on it's own mo-
ton, or upon the application of some
person other than the utility whose
property is involved"
Under Section AZ of the utility act
of 1920 the commission has power and
authority to examine and inspect
books Snd records, plant and prop
erty of the utility only lin so far as
the same may be pertinent to any
g matter under investigation before
the commission" Some of the utili-
ties have taken advantage of that
part of the present law quoted to re-
sist investigation by the commits
sion of their books and accounts
when the commission deemed this
necessary in the public interest, the
utility basing such opposition to the
commissions examination of their
books upon the technical ground that
the commission at such time had no
case pending before it which involved
an inquiry into it's books and rec
ords.
Would Remove Handicap
Supporters of the Brewer bill en-
phasize the point that any person
who reads the entire utility act of
1920 with amy understanding will
be convinced that under the law it is
not only the commissions privilege
but it's plain duty to exercise dill
gent supervision over the plant and
the property and business MANAGE
ment of the utilities at all times, and
hence there is a manifest necessity
that the commission should have the
right to send it's authorized represen-
tative to examine into the books, ac-
counts, plant and property of the
utility at such time as the commits
sion deemed Unnecessary in the pub
lie interest 1t is further pointed
out that the commission should not