The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-09-19
ALABAMA CITED
 AS IDEAL STATE
 FOR FACTORIES
Abundant Power Supply Declared Available To
 Small Plants

Alabama as a manufacturing state, where electric power Is available Tn unlimited quantities and at low cost to the smaller cities and towns, was wis ualized by former State Senator H. $. Doster of Prattville, Ala, at the final meeting of the public relations section of the twelfth annual convention of the southeastern division of the National Electric Light association at the Hotel Tutwiler Thursday morning.
 In his address, MT. Doster took for his subject the relation between "The Utilities and the Weekly Press" de- claring that what interested the cor porations interested the readers of the weekly papers.
 "Co-operation between the public and the utilities is necessary for the ad- vancement of the state. This can only come when the corporations have built up fine organization and have gained the confidence of the public" MT. Dos ter said. Public utilities are regarded as giants. The public is afraid of the giants strength. But, through a fine organization, the public will come to realize that the giant really is subser- vient to the public and actually is con- trolled by the public.
 Cooperation Sought.
 "When we reach the stage of coop eration. there will come really big things in the way of development and advancement of the state of Alabama and the entire south.
 ''The development of electric resources through the exploitation of water power will make electric current available to farmers and to the small communities. Not only will these towns and villages be permitted to enjoy the added con veniences, but the power makes possi- ble the construction of factories and other manufacturing plants.
 Mir. Doster closed his address by pledging the cooperation of the weekly papers in the work of developing the state.
 In the technical section meeting, ideas which will, in some measure, rev olutionize the construction of hydro electric power plants were brought out in a paper given by O. G. Thurlow and Ireal A. Winter of the Alabama Power company on Hydraulic Laboratory Fix periments of the Alabama Power com pany."
 In describing the work which has been accomplished in the Birmingham laboratory during the past several months, it was stated that the, ultimate object was to increase the efficiency of the Lock 12 plant.
 As a result of these experiments, a method of simplifying the construction of turbine settings has been worked out, which will increase the efficiency of the plant two and one-half per cent, according to the paper. The new tur- bine settings, which direct the flow of the water to the wheel, can be installed in old plants as well as new ones, it was said.
 Convention Adiourns.
 Experiments show that the new ideas can be worked out at low cost and will simplify the construction of tur- bine settings; both features which are highly desirable, according to the paper. Work of building the new settings at the Lock 12 plant will be started short ly, it was said, the ideas at the present time being well advanced beyond the experimental stage. fS No general session of the convention was held Thursday, the last day of the conclave, although meetings of the ac- counting and commercial sections were held.
 In the commercial section papers and reports were given by T. L. Bissell of the Alabama Power company, and by Stanley Green of the Walker Vehicle company. Birmingham was represented on the program of the public relations section meeting by R. A. Mitchell, Thomas Bragg and w. J. Baldwin, all executives of the Alabama Power com pany.
 In addition to Mir. ThurIow and Mir. Winter, A. T. Hutchins and J.s NJ. Oliver of the same company were Bir- mingham's representatives on the teeh- nical section program. N
 Following the morning sessions of the four sections. the convention was adjourned. The place of the next meet, ing will be elected next summer, it was said.