The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-02-02

fifty million horse power, the former
being the water power available, and
the latter that which will be made
available by the adoption of measures
for conserving the flow of streams
and waterfalls.
Let US assume for the moment that
the power represented by the former
of these two figures is brought under
the control of a single combination OF
brains and capital. What a magnifi-
cent domain it's directors will rule
over! Every light that Eliminates
street or dwelling, every yard of cloth
that is woven every factory wheel
that turns, every furnace that gloWs,
will yield them tribute. They need
not fear the competition of coal, for
it's price will be steadily rising as it
becomes more and more scarce and
as the difficulty of mining it increases.
Even the possible development OF
other Water-poWer will not affect
them, for the cost of such power,
developed under relatively unfavor-
greater as to afford them a safe and
handsome margin of profit. They
will occupy the richest, most secure
and most imperial industrial kingdom
ever erected. 1t is not in human ma
ture to possess this sort of command
and to refrain from it's exercise.
Holding the mastery of the industries
Of the land within their control, they
Will see to it that these industries
reward them on q scale commensurate
with their authority. 1t is inevitable
under such circumstances that the
cost of every single operation entering
into every form of industrial activity
will be greatly increased.
Who will foot the enormous bills
of the power trust? You and | and
our neighbors who are so cheerfuily
giving away the invaluable ownership
Of ON yVCafprf2il S and cfra2T ms w e
are all consumers Of power, and with
every yea that passes we become
more and more dependent upon 1t.
The electric current that lights our
homes, the ear that whirls us through
the city street, our morning news
paper thrown off by a mighty press,
our shoes and clothes, and the wheels
Of our watches, the elevators that
whisk US up and down towering sky
the kitchen appliances that
epa our Notwithstanding uldl
we use, from the product OF the great
est manufacturing establishment to
the electric flatiron with which the
1aundress makes u linen present
able-all represent the pendltur OF
power. If the manufactures OF hafr-
pins or the manufactures OF electric
light finds that he must pay more Tor
his power he will charge more 1of
his product, and we, the consumers,
who are encouraging the process OF
monOpolistic control OF the only avail
able source of power, Will pay the
toll in a thousand added expenditures
We, should not regard the private
| ownership Of the energy OF our puDilc
streams as altogether a matter OF
future development. AS we have seen,
thirty million horse power represents
the cream of what We may call the
free water-power of the United states,
the part tina can be adapted to 1ndus-
trial most easily and cheap
Iy. and the part. tnat
| will he utilized first. Some OF the
richest of this ream has been
SKINNED already.
Great plants for the conversion OF
the energy of falling water into the
energy of electricity and it's trans
formation from his form into boots
and shoes and breakfast foods and
printed pages ave been erected al
Niagara and in scores Of other favored
spots. Not only this but ali over the
unit wherever waterfalls or sharp
descents make it cas- to utilize the
/ power of streams, enterpf1slng busl-
I ness men have organized companies