The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-19
POWER LINE PLEA Is
WEDGE TO BEAT FORD
SAYSA. H. CARMICHAEL

Congress has had chance to make
some decision with regard to the dis
position of Muscle Shoals so that that
decision may be made without preJu-
dice.
Huntsville Man Speaks.
In a short address, Douglas Taylor,
Huntsville, attorney for companies
supporting the power company's Pc
tition, declared that his clients rep
resenting more than half the popula-
ton of Madison county, had an i'm
mediate need for power which was
developed by the Alabama Power
company and which could be sup
piled only through the construction
of the projected line. He declared
that there were new industries with
capital involving millions of dollars
which had already made decisions to
locate in Huntsville conditional upon
the obtaining of cheap power from
the Alabama Power company. Argu-
ment for the Alabama Power com
pany was also made by j. f. Thomp-
son of Birmingham.
t. w. Pratt Testifies.
A great part of the night Session
before the public service commission
| was occupied with testimony of wit
nesses in opposition to the granting
| of the power company'S petition. L.
w. IluntSNllie, pTcSluefl W tlle
| West Huntsville Cotton mill, ex-
planned that a resolution had been
| passed by the board of directors of
| the Huntsville Chamber OF Commerce
going on record as being opposed to
the granting of the petition at the
present time. Mr.. Pratt declared that
the almost unanimous opinion of the
people of Huntsville, Madison county
and the northern part of Alabama
was opposed to the granting of the
petition until something was heard
from Washington with reference to
disposition of the government plants
at Muscle Shoals This sentiment, he
| sire on the part of the people to do
nothing to hamper the government
| in the forming of it's policy with re-
| gard to the shoals.
Three letters were entered as evil
! dence in the case by attorney for
the opposition, which We're from the
Madison country farm bureau, S. L.
Perry & Sons and Lanier & Pride, all
of Huntsville. In a cross examina-
ton by Attorney Taylor, Huntsville
Mr.. Pratt said that the sentiment of
the people of the county was In no
way against the Alabama Power com
pany as company, but merely in the
interest of aiding he government in
the Muscle Shoals project.
Effort to Hinder Ford.
In answer to questions ~ Hugh
White, assistant attorney General of
Alabama and speciaf counsel for the
public service commission, Mr.. Pratt
| SAID it was his belief that the Ala
bama Power company petition was
merely an effort to curtail the chances
OF Henry Ford in obtaining Muscle
Shoals. In event the line is laid, ne
declared, it is his belief that the
situation would end in the AlabarT
Power company gaining control of
the Gorgas plant and that the United
States government would try to OPP
crate Muscle Shoals itself.
Florence Refused Power.
W.. ;, Estep, mayor of Florence,
testified that he had applied to the
Alabama Power company for cur
rent to runt the Florence water
works and that communication
was received from Thomas w. Mar
tin president of the Alabama Power
company stating that the company
would be unable to supply power
over the line running north from
the government plant on the War
rior because of the fact that the
company did not own the line from
Gorgas to Sheffield.
r. M. Jones, Florence, Ala. secre-
tary of the Chamber of Commerce
declared he had conversed with Mr..
Martin with reference to supplying
power to Florence and recite a con-
versation with Mr.. Martin to the
effect that technically of the con-
tract between the Power company
and the Federal Government pre-
vented the company supplying pow
er north from Gorgas.
Ten Year Contract.
Letters between Henry Parsons,