The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-13
Peoples Forum
Industry Follows Resources

To the Editor of The Age-Herald:
 Simply as a free thinker-free lance-and writer on subjects which appeal to logic, as l see question, I desire to voice credit to the two recent editorials which appeared in The Age-Herald dealing with the water powers act of the state of Alabama. l am also neither in poli- tics nor in the employ of any cor poration in existence. The edito- rials to which 1 make reference not ably lack the sterosyped rambling generalities which cannot absorb the light of analysis. Aside from the logic cited by the writer of the edi- torials, and based on commonsense plane, it seems so highly incsnsist. ent to expect the people to stand Idly Dy anu absorb, without at least rebuft, the efforts of a corpora tion winch has been granted spe- clal prevlleges by state, Tn good faith, and then witness that corpora ton openly attempt to stifle fur ther competition In the product winch it has for sale simply because It happened to be first on the ground. The tenets of that old llme long axiom, or law: Respect begets respect" seems to have been forgotten on the one side. Proper redress should no more be denled the state than the individual; and humanity is as sure to exercise the prerogatlve of redress, Ill one form or another, as the sun shines. war is an onerous school of experience "a redress winch a nation takes as a last resort; yet it sometimes takes war and scraps of paper to teach a lasting lesson on the subject of encroacnment on the peoples rights. A corporation can no more com- placenrly fight the things that make Tor the general development of a state, or the happiness and content ment of it's people, and then ex- pect the cltizenry to stand by ana not register complaint, than they can cramp its empioyes with impun- l
 ing man knows, that industry does not follow phllanthropic lines. For industry, and that necessary ao- junct ot ndustry-r1loney. or capi- ual-to flow lnIo a SectI0n tor ue- velopment there must be well grounded and SuDStantlal resources on which to base expenditures com mensurate with an undertaking. The development Ct water power came to Alabama soiery because, In the judgment of experts sent nere to report on its possibilities, Ala bana offered ana inviting Held of potentialities-exastly on the same principle that the Steel Corporation came to Alabama because Ala balna, as it thought and has later verified, was he most inviting 1leld for its future ehdeavors. Big busi- ness does not reason i'll terms of today, but terms Of generations and to state that capital IS timid and nervous f or thls or that superficial reason is to strike at the credulity of intelligence. Unrestrained capi- tai, by the law of Its unreseralned cupidlty, does seek ana cherish whatever natural advantage it may be able to possess by grants, etc., but it will not develop a project based on that advantage alone. There must be an inherent value of economic advantage. On the other hand, restrained capital invites pro- tective laws which will put 1t on a par with other industries of what soever nature. That is but fair. but to reach beyond that privilege it be. arouses the ire of the populace in general, and supply thunder with which to destroy prestige around which an industry is locally foster ed. Inanimate capital, though speeches., may be made quite amenable to the ventriloquist of its organization and dispersion systems, and the flexibility of the effect of it's impressions is surely measured, in time, by the people in general. There has never been anything wrong with capital itself-the en- tire blame and praise for its crea- tion and use properly knock at the door" of the men who handle it; and to them belongs either the re- buke or glory for it's stewardship.
 Y. A. DYER.
 Birmingham, Ala, Feb. 10, 1923.