The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-12

may do in biefesting municipal reform
when Incidentally they command the scr
vices Of political leaders who deal out
bribes of prefernent TO those who do their
will, and send promptly to the rstircment
of private life ihoss who do not 1t IL
for such reasons that we have been treat
ed TO the humiliating spectacle of hear.
Ing advertised on an economic subject
that Is readily acknowledge ed may be OF
vast import to Portland's growth with an
attendance of citizens responding 10 IT,
The protest against granting rights and
opportunities to new company 10 tnls
city naturally came from the Consolidated
Electric Light Company. and they have
used their opportunities ruthlessly. They
evidently view IL rs OF vital Importance
to them that they have a monopoly OF the
business. This as they are ut present
organised 10 no doubt true. Connected
with the company are some Of our most
respected citizens and no one wishes them
Ill success In their venture but our tax
payers In general are not called upon 70
be phiianthropio towards this company to
the extent Of denying themselves the
profit and advantage that a distinct ad-
vance In the science OF electricity now
one set OF capitalists making war upon
another set, but 10 is more especially and
particularly men who are proposing to
use the results that have been disco 'ed
by the most recent researches Of science
upon the Developments Of electricity by
water power. they anticipate no less
profit from their venture than that en-
joyed by the Consolidated Company. but
the ample development Of the science
along the lines OF the use OF water power
with Its resultant economies enables them
to offer us light and power at about two
thirds the rate we are now paying. IL II
fair to the people to deny them this OPP
portunitys Steam electric plants are of
nc kpowledged effectiveness but We must
bear in mind that they have no longer a
mon opoly Of this, because for the last ten
or fifteen years the special study and
effort and experiments Of scientists In
water power electrical development have
produced results which II we may be per-
mitted to enjoy them, mean to us the
same progress and development that
comes to those places where no ban OF
monopoly opposes progress. The excel
lence and success of water power plant is
granted by all who are willing 10 &C.
knowledge facts. 1t Is the Renal ssance
of water power as some one has said and
are wo to submit to an attempt to deprive
us OF this benehcent forces Do the people
OF Portland realize that they are being
denied their rights to the God-given
power in the water Of the Presumpscot
river valley, which electrical experts
now know how to turn to the most val
ua le of all usesf 1t Is the benefits Incl
den tai to this discovery that the nav COM
pany propose t. give us. 1t Is the devel'
opment OF the science TINT confronts the
coal produced electricity OF the Consoli-
dated Company which they have refuse d
to avail themselves of and so have thus
far deprived us of vital Advantages. 1t Is
of far greater moment to this city OF
Portland than realized that this new COM
pany be fostered rather than ruined by
oppression and refusal OF proper oppor-
I .lA<f fu. IN Law n
fair means and compelled to surrender
the plant and field which their wisdom.
foresight and energy would now render
available. IL this opening be denied the
new company we need not look far to IT.
resid uary legat,e, and we shall soon real
lie that light and electric power at proper
low rates have vanished forever.
This is no idle superstition as some
might think because recently we do not
hear quite 40 much of the impracticabili-
ty ana folly Of using water power cleo
tricity, and because as you may euslIy
learn az not already informed) the Con-
solidated Company once proposed to buy
of the Sebago Power Company of which
the present company Is an ofshoot, 1900
horse power, enough as IA rule to run their
whole plant. but mind you, 1t was con
ditional upon the Sebago Power Company
kesping out of Portland and thereby the
monopoly of the Consolidated Company
outlook for a oetterment in our affairs Is
not encouraging. Political parties are
represented in our city government and
not the city's interest except incidentally
when 1t does not conflict with the aspira'
tions OF their representatives, to further
political preferment and honor or oppor-
tunity. The remedy consists in the re-
sumption of good citizenship by diyorcing
political affiliations from our action In
city affairs, not necessarily by voting so
that one political party shall triumph
over another. for that raraly offers
remedy, but by attendaLce upon the
caucuses, and primary meetings, and a
discrimination in putting men In nomi-
nation who stand for the welfare OF the
whole city, not for certain corporations,
and not for themselves as a stepping stone
towards political honors; in that path the
man ceases to tie free agent and pro-
crosses not one foot except that this con.
duct has been satisfactory, not 10 the citi-
zeus of the city but to the politician.
Much more nigh be said upon this i'm
portant subject did space per nit.
h. Z. JORDAN.