Omaha daily bee., 1909-06-15
HAS TRUST COT LOUP RIVER?
Transfer Of Stock Gives Rise to An
swer in Affirmative.
GENERAL ELECTRIC REACHES OUT
water Power Monopoly Said 20 Have
ThrOwn It's TeRtscles About the
BabcOek Project In This
state.

Directors Of the Nebraska Power COM
pany, which proposes to harness the Loup
river to secure electrical power, have au-
thorized the secretary to exchange shares
Of common stock for the common stock OF
the Nebraska Central Irrigation company,
which corporation is capitalized at $1,000
900 has out $500 shares OF stock and in
vested $500, 900 in an Irrigation ditch.
1t is the claim of the officers of the
Nebraska Power company that a tentative
contract has been signed with one of the
great electrical companies and the perma-
nent contract only awaits the return to
New York City of some Of the heads Of
the company, as the engineers Of the cor
porstion have made a favorable report.
In the organization of the Nebraska
Power company H. e. Babcock has been
more or less associated with the General
Electric and the Westinghouse Electric
and Manufacturing company. Mr.. Babcock
has always said It was at the instance
Of men high in these great industrial cor
porations that he started the proposition
Of furnishing electrical power to eastern
Nebraska by Harvesting the Loup river.
This association and the positive assertion
of officers at this time that one of the
largest electrical companies in the coun-
try has signed a preliminary and agreed TO
sign a permanent contract upon a avor-
able report from one engineer, who has
reported favorably. leads to the belief that
the Loup river has been annexed by the
water power trust"
Roosevelt Pointed II Out.
The monopoly was pointed out by Presi-
dent Roosevelt and since his attack It has
been discovered that one or two COM
panies have gathered in many of the best
power sites in every part of the country
and secured the water rights.
1t is generally supposed the General Elec-
trio has secured the Loup River company,
which means the company will make cleo
trical power cheaper than 1t can with coal.
but whether the consumer will get the
benefit is a matter of conjecture.
Here are some of the enterprises which
the General Electric controls according TO
the government reports:
United States Electric Securities, Elec-
trical Securities corporation, Electric Bond
and Share company, Schenectady Power
company, Carolina Power and Electric
Light company, Rockingham North Caro-
lina) Power company, Animas Power and
rado Power company, Montgomery Gala
bama) Light and Power company, summit
County Power company (Coloradol, Butte
/ ftCNNllS Gnu O"S SAAfOH
Montana Power Transmission company,
Billings and Eastern Montana Power COM
pany. Madison River Power company,
Washington Water Power p wash
ington and Idaho), Great Western Power
company California;.
Former Westinghouse Man.
The engineer who has just completed a
report on the Loup river is E. B. Church.,
n President Babcock Of the Nebraska
Power company says he was formerly an
engineer Of the Westinghouse people, but
now has no connection whatever" The
following are classed by the government
as the Westinghouse group of power COM
panies, and, as is we'll known, the West
inshouse and General Electric pooled their
patents in 1896 and are generally considered
'telose together competitors:
Atlantic Water and Electric Power COM
pany, Ontario Power company, Niagara
Lockport and Ontario Power company,
Albany Power and Manufacturing COM
pany, Savannah River and Power com
pany. GAINESVILLE Electric Railway and
Power company, North Georgia Electric
company, Chattanooga and Tennessee River
Power company, North Colorado Power
company.
Water rights on the Loup river are owned
by the Central Nebraska Irrigation COM
pany, while an officer Of the Omaha water
company holds the water rights on the
Nlobrara river, near the old town of Mo
brara. which is the best point for a plant.
Two attempts have been recently made by
the general manager of a street railway
and electric power company in which j.
Ogden Armour is deeply interested, to Sc
cure the water rights on the Niobrara
river in Nebraska.