The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-04-06
DELEGATES BEGIN
TO ARRIVE NCITY
FOR CONVENTION
American Institute OF
Electric Engineers Ses-
sions Open Monday
EXTENSIVE PROGRAM
ARRANGED FOR MEET
Prominent Speakers To Be
Among 800 To 400 En-
gineers In Attendance

The vanguard Of delegates began ar.
irving Saturday for what promises to
be the most interesting convention in
the history of the American Institute
of Electrical Engineers. which opens
here for a five-day session at the Tut
wiler Monday.
Between three and four hundred oil
the foremost electrical engineers Of the
United States are expected here for
the convention, which IL the first ma jor
session of the institute to be held in
this section, although divisional meet
ings have been held in-the south be-
fore.
Hydroelectric development will be the
main theme of the convention discus
sions,- and Birmingham was chosen as
the meeting place because northern
Alabama has become center Of some
Of the most important water power
developments in the United States
Trips to Mitchell Dam and Lock II
developments Of the Alabama Power
company, and to Muscle Shoals, will
be arranged for the convention dele.
gates Thursday and Friday. There
win be a reception and dance at the
Birmingham County club Monday
night, and at 6 80 o'clock, Wednesday
evening, there will be an old-fashioned
barbecue on Shades mountain.
Session For Public
Because of the great public interest
in hydroelectric development, a general
session Of the convention has been ar.
ranged for Tuesday night at the John
Herbert Phillips school auditorium, to
which the public is invited.
Among the speakers at this meeting
will be o. G. Merrill, executive sore.
tary Of the federal power commission
who will discuss National Water Pow.
er Development" as carried on under
the provisions of the federal water
power act. The federal power commits
sion is composed of three members Of
the presidents cabinet, and its func.
ton is to regulate the hydroelectriC
Development of navigable waterways
under the provisions of the water pow.
er power act.
Other speakers at the Tuesday night
session will be p. M. Downing, vice
president of the Pacific Gas and Elec
trio company, who will discuss, Best
Ways of Using Water Power For the
Benefit of the Public" and Preston
Arkwright, president Of the Georgia
| Railway and Power company, whose
topic will be Public Relations In
Water Power Developments" Mr.
Downing will tell how hydroelectric de
velopment on the Pacific coast ha!
progressed to such an extent tina
transmission lines serve the publ,
! from Lower California to British Co
lumbia, and California is using tire,
times as much electricity per capits
as the rest of the country, becaus,
of the cheapness of the current de
veloped from water power. Thomas w
Martin, president Of the Alabama Pow
er company, will preside at the meet
ing Tuesday night.
Technical Discussion
Other sessions Of the convention viii
be devoted to technical discussion o.
hydroelectric practices and equipment
and the various phases of water pow
er development. Mr.. Martin will tell tn,
convention of the DEVELOPMENT of south
ern projects at the session Tuesday
afternoon, and H. M. Addinsell Of
Harris, Forbes & Co., will discuss "Fi
nancial Aspects of Hydroelectric De
velopments." w. e. Mitchell, assistant
general manager of the Alabama Power
company win preside.
An interesting technical discussion
at the session Wednesday morning al
the Tutwiler will have reference to tn,
high tension oil circuit breaker test.
conducted last year at the primary sub
station of the Alabama Power com
pany at Magella, when the Genera
Electric and Westinghouse companies
furnished equipment for a series OF
very expensive experiments to deter
mine the efficacy Of equipment wher
subjected to tremendous voltage under
actual operating conditions. The cost
of these experiments, which were mad,
in the interest of improved electrical
equipment, was between $4,000 anG
$50, 900. M. ]. Sholtx of the Alabama
Power company, r. W. Mcneil of thC
Westinghouse company, A. ]. d. Hill
lard of the General Electric company
and J. v. jerks of the West Penn
Power company, will discuss these
tests.
liberalization Of Mines
Identification of coal mines will b.
a subject of special local interest which
is scheduled for discussion at the nigh
session Thursday at the Tutwiler. l.
G. Ilsley, official of the federal bu
reau of mines, will address the con
vention on the subject of Electrical
Safety in Goal NT;unaH -.
Substa t;ons FOR Minssv .aTHsta ~ \,
S M,hs E t;on Gcntror and Automatic