The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-19

president of the Sheffield company
and Thomas w. Martin, president of
the Alabama Power company, filed
as evidence with the commission
showing that Mr.. Parsons had en-
deavored to obtain power from the
Alabama company and had been met
with the proposal that contract for
furnishing the power could only be
made for a period of at least ten
years with an agreement assuring
an increased demand each year.
Mr.. Bradshaw in closing the tes
timony quoted memorial printed in
The Age-Herald Thursday and
mortal presented by representative
successful business men from cities
and towns in the northern part of
the state requested only that the
Alabama Power company curb its
Impotence with regard to the gov
eminent built, government owned
and last great water power site of
the nation.
At the afternoon session. F. p.
Cummings, commercial manager of
the Alabama Power company, was
subjected through grilling which
lasted for more than three hours. In
the course of his testimony, Mr..
the capacity load of the present line
was $1,000 horsepower, while the
K ad being placed on the line at the
present time was close to 14,0O0
horsepower. and other industrial In
terests had expressed desire for
approximately 5000 additional
horsepower which the company was
unable to supply on account of in
adequate line facilities. The con-
templated new line will have a capa =
city OF 10000 horsepower, he said
Gre of the greatest objections to
the present system brought out III
the testimony given during the day
was the fact that the current was
greatly interrupted during storm pc
RODS, causing delays in work. and
generally demoralizing service. This
undesirable feature would be elmi
mated to a great extent by the con-
struction OF the proposed new line
Mr.. Cummings declared, and added
that past experience had shown that
where two lines running through sep
arate territory supplied a city with
electric current the Interruptions
were greatly cut down. In substan
tiation of this statement, Mr.. Cum
mings showed where there were 81
interruptions in 1922 for a total of
1910 minutes on the line to Hunts
Vile.
At Admission, Ala, with two lines
running through the same territory
Interruptions in 1922 totaled only 80
for 100 minutes, while for Bessemer
Ala, where there were two lines run
ming through different territory there
We're only nine Interruptions for ot
minutes.
In cross-examining Mr.. Cummings
Mr. Bradshaw brought out the point
that in case the United States gov
eminent should desire for any reason
not to sell the government transmits
sion line between Sheffield, Ala, ant
- a1n a
Power company would have no means
of conveying their power from Gorgas
to Sheffield, to connect with the line
from Huntsville to Sheffield.
o O o.
At the morning session, evidence
was introduced through various wit
nesses showing that almost untolt
industrial developments awaited
Huntsville, conditional upon the OBJ
tanning of extra sources of electro
power for cotton mills which arr
almost universally electrified
| present.
The comm ssion is to meet agar
at o'clock Saturday morning tC
| hear testimony on the petition of thu
Power company for the establish
nsent of a hydro electric plant at thu
government dam at Lock II, and fol
| lowing the members of the commits
| sion will leave for Decatur.
| O o O
| Patterson Presidcs.
President A. G. Patterson presid
ed over the sessions, while Asso
ciate Commissioners Frank B. Nor
gan and Fizhugh Lee were pres
ent. l. F. Mcdonnell. consultins
engineer of the Alabama public ser
vice commission, and Hugh II
White, assistant Alabama ATTORNEY
general, and special attorney for thu
public service commission, also wer
present. Attorneys arguing the cas-
were j. F. Thompson, Birmingham
Perry w. Turner, Birmingham. ant
| Charles Eyster, Decatur, Ala. At
torneys appearing to represent in
terests in opposition to the granting
of the Alabama Power company
petition were A. Fl. Carmichael. Tus
cumba; w. ii. Mitchell, Florence
j. L. Andrews, Sheffield. and II. A
Bradshaw, Florence. At the morninl
session Douglas Taylor appeared il
defense of the petition as represen
tative of the following companies
located at Huntsville. Ala. Alaba mi
| Broom and Mattress company, BaX
ter Brothers, Chero-Cola Bottlinl