The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-24
AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET RIGHT

AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET RIGHT
 The disclosure that the Alabama Power Company employs members of the law-making body of Alabama, before which division of state authority come questions vitally affecting the power company, is but another illustration of the very improper and objectionable method utilities too frequently practice, in order to establish contact with those before whom their interests are to pass in review.
 The public learned definitely, through the publication of a recent letter of Senator J. M. Bonner, that he had been employed to do a legal service by the power company after he was elected to the state senate. We can dismiss as a subject having been discussed previously the view of those opposed to such prac- tice, as to the position in which. Senator Bonner placed himself. His position was particularly emphasized because he sought to justify such employment by citing the attitude of the distinguished nominee of the Democratic party for the presidency in vihdication of his own course. That MT. Davis does not believe in such practice is proved by his own record. But it has all served the good and wholesome purpose of getting before the public for it's enlightenment an issue very acute in the political life of the state and which must be met when the people again come to vote for members of the legislature.
 Should not the Alabama Power Com pany, or any public service corporation, if only wanting square deal from the public, be the first to withdraw itself from any contact whatsoever with those responsible for the control of such util- ity through administration or legisla- tion? Would it not be proper for such utilities to keep tkis issue from public de- cision by frankly and openly severing all contact with any public official, whether of high or low degree, and pledge that the practice would forever be discon- tinued? And would not such position be of material benefit to the utilities, aside from the moral position in which such an act would place them?
 For the people cannot be expected to remain quiescent or to ignore situation of this character. Certainly neither the people nor any element thereof want to do other than simple justice to any utility serving the public as a necessary corol- lary of public comfort and convenience.
 But the people want no political con- trol by either the power company, or any utility, or any group of utilities. They want their public servants to be free to administer the public interest and to give equal and just treatment both to the public and to the utilities. Efforts to form contact with those in authority by those who are or hope to be the bene- ficiaries of privileges, the extension of which at times may run in conflict with the wider public interest, merely serve to create the justifiable suspicion in the public mind that some undue advantage is sought. And is such not the motive!
 Public hostility to utilities, arising out of suspicion of their motives, tends to swing the pendulum to an extreme neith= CT desired nor advisable. Yet public disapproval of wrong utility policy, as a correcting influence, appears ultimately necessary to preserve good government and proper administration from the abuses of those selfishly seeking legisla- tive privilege. The utilities would, in such event, but have themselves to blame if an outraged public subjects them to penalties not desired, but apparently es- sentiall as corrective of abuses.
 It is hoped that the Bonner exposure will furnish subject for healthful med itation, not only to the Alabama Power Company and other public-service insti- tutions, but to any and all public servants who have been practicing the policy of dual relation by accepting or retaining public office while privately benefiting from those having direct interest in ad- ministration or seeking legislation grant, ing them special and undue favors.