Arizona republican., 1907-07-23
THE FIRST PATRON
 OF THE POWER PLANT
Pacific Gas and Electric Go. Has Per- fccted a Contract With the Govern ment For Power From Roosevelt.


 spent about a week on business. He had a number of minor matters to attend to, but his chief mission was in connection with arranging for the purchase of machinery to equip new substation for the Pacific Gas X Elec- tric Co. which will be erected within the next year. And herewith is story which will be of interest to all the residents of this valley. for it has to do with the initial contract between the government and private parties for the supplying of electric power generated at the Roosevelt dam, for commercial purposes, the revenue of which will be applied to the payment of the cost of the water storage pro- ject.
 H A contract has been signed by the representatives of the government and MT. Ensign. representing the Pacific Gas and Electric O., under the provi- sions of which the government for a proper consideration will furnish the lighting plant with power. This pow CT will Le brought to Phoenix over the big transmission line now under construction and delivered to the new
 
 erect alongside its present plant in this city, at an expense of perhaps sixty or seventy thousand dollars. The new plant is necessary for reasons that electricians will understand and The Republican will not at this time attempt to explain further than to say that the juice" from Roosevelt VIII have to be worked over by trans .r@ e.-f. Rh VN cry to secure the proper voltage or other electrical conditions necessary for distribution over the local wires The present steam plant will be main- tained as now, for use in an emergen- cy or for any additional service that may be required so that the substa- tion amounts practically to an en- largement of the plant by that much Though this project has not been ex- actly a state secret. little has been said about it heretofore but the con- tract is now signed and in effect and there is no occasion for secrecy. Just what its terms are and what the revenue to be derived will amount to has not been made public and prob ably cannot be until the project is fur Ither along, but it is bound to be con- siderable and every dollar of it will 20 to the credit of the storage project, making that much less the farmers will have to pay for the construction of the dam. The government does not in fact could not we'll afford to enter ithe commercial field as competitor with private capital in the sale or electrical power. but in cases where there is no competition. in fact where the benefit is for a whole community, lit is clearly within the lines of It's mission. In the first place. the Pa cific Gas and Electric Co, through us | equity in the canals which were sold Ito the government. had right to ana did demand consideration along these lines when its interests in the canals Iwere turned over. and now the gov ernment as in all previous instances in connection with the storage project here, has made good. It is better all round for it gives the company pow l CT at rate cheaper no doubt thaf' IL can generate power by steam and al . the same time it gives the govern ment, which in reality in this case, IS the people of this valley, a flarge pat ron for it's surplus power. the first it is believed of many that w.ll be se- cured after the transmission line IS completed. There are many business enterprises that may find in this val lley an attractive field, when cheap nower is available. which would nev- Ter be successful with the expense or steam power in these parts and which would in no way compete with prl- vate mower enterprises. And If enough such patrons are found to utilize the surplus of power not needed for irri- gation pumping plants even at the cheap rates the government VIII charge. it is not beyond reason that the sale of power alone will go along way toward paying for the dam. on naper the dam will cost the farm lands of this valley perhaps twenty-five or thirty dollars per acre as the initial charge hut the revenue from power it is expected will reduce it perhaps far below the original estimate per acre and perhaps in the end almost wipe it out entirely.
 Ii would be an awful thing If the few kickers in the valley should even tuaIlv wake up to the fact that all the storage works had cost them was the carrying of a mortgage for few years that never had to be paid. And 1T af- ter that, the project should prove to be dividend payer and the poor oio farmers had to submit to constant enlargement of their bank accounts from the pockets of the prosperous manufacturers and other users of power in the valley, the effect would simply be overpowering.