Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-11-22

commsrcially considered, roads foe vshi-
culax tra6lc ars either post roads for
transpoetfng the mails or roads for trans
porting produce from and TO the farm to
the nearest railroad shipping point Or
nearest market.
"a study Of the present road situation,
/ am convinced, will show that We have
been drifting away from this sound
theory, hut IL ID time that the farmers
were alive to the necessity Of enforcing
road construction solely from tho conn
merce standpoint. II We do this We will
panies, and even the automobilisss who
are resident Oh the main lines OF travel
between Largo cities, have interests COM
mon with the farmers, and the automobile
manufacturers, who are looking to the
farmers ~ future customers, must see
that the commerce theory Of road COM
struction will best serve their interests.
QUIZ WATER POWERS.
"Maine IL third in the list Of states with
water power possibilities. New York and
California alone surpass our own State in
this. respect. But Maine IL Just ON the
threshold Of the development Of its water
power, and the important question for NJ
to consider 10 whether the development
shall be In the interest OF ali the people, or
whether the God-given bounty Of vast
power shall Be monopolixed and exploited
BY the "big business interests".
10 kn - 8 -
benefits Of the water power, We must be
up and doing. We must unite with all
public-spirited citizens in repelling the
monopoly invaders-for that il what they
are, pure and simple. II We stand idly by
now, instead Of reaping the benefits Of our
own splendid water power, ordained by
nature for our prosperity. We shall zee
that power, through high tension electric
transmission, sent ont Of the State, while
our own industrial development LAM
guishes and decays for lack Of it.
1.-THE magnitude OF the prize ct stake can
be realized when we note that conserva-
tive estimates place the power easily
available, without storage, ct 100000
horse power, and with storage the posi-
bilities re from million and half 10 two
million horsepower. At SO per horse
power q year, the returns to the State
would be from six to twenty million
dollars year.
"This rich prize is now being sought,
and to secure it, every stratagem and
every secret resource of politics are being
employed by eminent fnsnclers back Of
the project.
"Who are the master minds behind this
colossal grab? This is not easy to deter
mine, but it is now generally we'll under
stood that the scheme is being pushed by
great special interests working through
Intermediates.
sour purpose and our determined effort
must be to keep for Maine the water
powers Of Maine, free from monopoly con-
troll. And where they have already
passed into monopoly control, we must re-
cover them, II possible, or, failing in this,
we must place proper restrictions on the
transmission of electrical power and ex-
ercise the taxing power SO as to recover to
the people revenue justly proportional
to the revenues that should rightly be re-
ceived by the State from this natural re-
source.
1.-THE water powers of the State are .
great heritage. Properly utilized they
will make Maine great industrial State,
cover the State with net work Of cheap
trolley roads, and increase farm values by
untold millions. Rightly used, our water
power is the talent OF the parable that
shall bring forth an hundred fold, enrich
ing and blessing every individual and
every interest Of the State. Exploited by
monopoly, it becomes q menace, blocking
industrial development, arresting farm
prosperity, and turning the State back
wark in the march OF progress.
"No state in the Union is more vitality
interested in this great question Of con-
servation OF our national resources than
our own, and urge every grange through
out the State to take it up, study it and
demand that the legislature take positive
action to safeguard the interests of the
people.
"There are few matters of more pressing
importance than the conservation of our
native material wealth. The grange Of
Maine can engage in no work that will
prove more fruitful in lasting results than
to lend the weight Of its influence to pro-
tecting our forests from ignorant or rapa-
cious greed and ruthless devastation, thus
helping in safeguarding the rights of the
people. There are duties to be performed
and work to be done that lie outside our
immediate environment, and these inter-
ests are quite % sacred as our own per-
sonal duties and more important than our
private holdings:
The grange is an organization and it's
members al individuals must be felt
forces in protecting the common Aght in
our public lands from destruction, while
the State and national government should
endeavor to foster and promote all efforts
seeking to give the people their lawful
heritage. All schemes which. have for
their purpose the serving Of personal ends