Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-02-25
KENNEBEC POWER BILL.

1t was a splendid array of legal tai
ent and a substantial gathering of
representative mill owners of the State
that appeared Friday afternoon and
evening before the committee on in
terror waters in connection with the
hearing upon the bill TO incorporate
the Kennebcc Dam & Reservoir Co.
The hearing was held In the Senate
chamber and Notwithstanding the
counter attraction of a hearing upon
the proposed woman suffrage amend
ment to the constitution. which was
in progress in the hall of the House
during the afternoon. every available
seat in the Senate chamber was
taken and even standing room was
at a premium during the entire pro-
gress of the hearing, which was warm
ly contested and brilliantly fought by
the opposing counsel.
The attorneys directly interested in
the case We're Henry /. Hartman of
Boston and Hon. George NJ. Hanson Of
Calais, representing the proponents OF
the measure. Hon. Herbert NJ. Heath
and Thomas Leigh of Augusta, rep
resenting the Maine Electrical Asso-
citation. embracing 81 different power
stations. Harvey p. Eaton of Water
VILE representing the Central Maine
Power Co, Hon. Charles +. Johnson
of Watcrville, representing the Ken
nebec Water Power CO., and the Ken
nebee Log Driving Co, Henry Hudson
of Guilford, representing the Rockland
Gas & Electric Light Co. and the Pc
nobscot Pay Electric Co. Hon. Job Fl.
Montgomery of Camden, representing
the Rockland Gas & Electric Light Co.
and the Rocfland, Thomaston & Cam
den Street Railway.
Among the we'll known mill men of
the kennebec valley who took promi-
r. Dunn, president OF the Lockwood
Co. Morris Gledhll. Of the Marston
and Somerset mills of Skowhegan., s
w. Philbrick, representing the Ken
nebec log driving interests. Walter S,
Wyman Of Watervillc. general man
ager of the Central Maine Power Co,
W. II. X. Abbott, a recognized Ken
nebec power expert and +. +. Boston
If Gardiner, general manager of the
NinslOw and Gardiner mills of the
& Whitney Co. AS the
hearing developed it became evident
that the proposition of the Kennehec
Dam & Reservoir Co. included not
only the development Of a great hydro
electrical power in the MOoschcad re-
gion. but also the distribution of that
power TO all PARTS of Maine in COM
petition with existing light ana power
companies Tho bill with certain
was favored by practical
ly all the milI men. while the various
electrical concerns of the state were
opposed t. IT, apparently believing. rs
Mr Eaton stated during the hearing
thar il would give this great corpora
ton with its capital OF $S,000,000 or
$ln,6oo,0oU power to crush the existing
ont Of business If it saw fit
1t also developed that if the bill now
before the Legislature allowing COM
pctition with other electrical concerns
without special permit Of the Leg
islatHrc diu not pass, this company
would still have the right to transmit
power upon private land and could
conduct its business without the pas
sage Of the other bill ii charter was
granted it by the legislature.
Since the original draft of this bill
there have been many conferences be-
tween the parties interested on the riv-
or. there have been some changes to
meet some of the objections and some
on the part of those who
We're opposed to the BILL said George
NJ. Hanson of Calais in opening
In asking for this charter for the
powers conferred in the bill il is 10
voice the request of Maine men, who.
with outside men and outside capital
desire II develop n Maine project
within the state. project in which
the whole state will be interested,
continued Mr.. Hanson. as he called
Henry l. Hartman Of Chase. Harri-
man &, Phipps of Boston, the promo
ters of the Kcnnebec Dam & Reservoir
Co.
some months ago several gentlemen
in Maine. who controlled the water
mower privileges in this region came
to lis and asked us to take hold OF II.
I presume they came to Us because
they knew that Wo already were doing
n similar business in Central MaSsa-
chusetts and Connecticut" said Mr..
Hartman.
at was frankly our intention, if
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