Show UTILITY regulation one of the stock arguments I 1 of those who favor government j operation of public utilities is that state regulation has en down and is inadequate for the protection of the public but in one state at least an im 1 partial investigation has found the public service commission functioning effectively in the public interest in alabama a searching investigation vesti gation of public utility affairs was recently made by a joint committee of the legislature composed of eight members in a report signed by seven of the eight committeemen it was said wa unhesitatingly say that j i the interests of the people of alabama are being protected by the public service commission we believe that those who criticize the acts of the commission do so either because they do not actually know and understand the facts or they criticize without regard to such facts the committee also stated that the alabama power company the states largest utility was assessed for taxation at a higher percentage on its value than any other property in the state that it was not earning a fair return on its investment and that it paid out in taxes approximately 11 cents out of every dollar it collected from its customers so it appears that alabama is in no imminent danger of being swallowed up by that undefined entity which radical politicians call the power trust |