Omaha daily bee., 1908-04-17
WATER POWER FOR OMAHA
President Rabcock of Loup River
Company Addresses Committee.
VISIONS OF CHEAP ELECTRICITY
But Speaker Says His Company owns
Right to Water and City Cam
not TrnmpIe Upon This
Franchise.

After telling the citizens committee ap-
the water power development proposition
| for Omaha. that the company which he
represents owns the franchises for the use
Of the water of the Loup river and that
the city cannot fitch the rights from him
any more than private corporation, Presi-
dent II. E. Babcock made some propositions
at meeting OF the committee held in the
Commercial club rooms Wednesday after
noon
Mr.. Babcock said his company would en-
ter into contract with the city to furnish
electric power in any large quantity for /
cent per kilowatt hour-or one-half the
lowest rate charged by the present power
company The city could distribute the
power to consumers or use 1t for street
lighting at its pleasure.
Another proposition was that his company
would furnish power to all consumers who
used it In quantities amounting to 100 horse
power or more for l cent per kilowatt hour
Then he offered to sell the city bonds
valued at 1900 each for $500 each and give
the city $1,000 worth of common stock in
his company with each bond, and If the
municipality of Omaha took enough bonds
the Loup River Power company would sell
the city electrical power at so much less
than / cent per kiowatt hour that every
man, woman and child would laugh at the
proposition.
The propositions OF Mr.. Babcock, who has
spent fifteen years working on the Loup
river power project, aimed to discourage
the thoughts OF building and operating a
municipal power plant and suggesting that
If the business men of the city really want
cheaper power they should take hold with
him and his Swiss and General Electric
associates and assist IN finarcing and com
pleting the great enterprise which he has
started and on which engineers have re-
ported favorably.
Mr.. Babcock, who has the water power
proposition reduced TO its lowest common
denominator after his association with the
best engineers in the world, talked to the
committee for almost two hours. reading
from a carefully prepared brief, govern
ment reports and engineers statements.
Citizens Ask Questions.
The most pertinent questions were asked
by Robert Cowell and Victor Rosewater.
Mr. Cowell wanted to know how the small
consumer is to get electricity a single cent
cheaper than at present even II Mr.. Bah
cock and his associates should install a
water power plant and sell electricity to he
present company at one-half The cost to
the Omaha Electric Light and Power com
pany TO generate power by steam. Answer
ing this question Mr.. Babcock suggested
that If the present company did not re-
duce rates under such circumstances
competition by his company, the city or
the General Electric companies would be
entirely possible. He said he had put the
question 70 Mr.. Nash at one time, who
replied that he was q generous man. and
that II Mr.. Babcock would save him 50
per cent he would turn right around ana
distTibute-the power with his costly equip
ment and save the small consumers %
per cent.
Mr.. Bsbcock held up Buffalo as a city
where cheap power is enjoyed, and Mr..
Rosewater wanted to know IL the street
cars In Buffalo were operated by water
power. When Mr.. Babcoek replied in the
affirmative Mr. Rosewater wanted 10
know II the fares there were cheaper than
in Omaha. To this question Mr. Babcock
replied in the same way, as 20 indicate
that someone was making a lot of money
in Buffalo. as the fares were the same
as In Omaha.
One OF the statements made by Mr.. Bah
cock surprised many OF the members OF
the committee. II was to the effect that
within ten or fifteen years the Union Pa
cific Railroad company will be operating
its trains between Omaha and Grand Island
If not between Omaha and North Platte