The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-01-08
PUGET SOUND
RAILROAD WILL
Be ELECTRIFIED
Power From Great Falls to
Be Used to Haul Transcon-
tinental Trains on Mil
waukee Road.
~
FEDERAL PERMIT
PROMPTLY ISSUED
Innovation Likely to Be Fol
lowed by Northern Pacific
and Great Northern
in Due Time.

ASHJNGIONy Jan. - w nat
NM Secretary Fisher believes TO
WV be the beginning of the elcc.
trifcation of all transcon-
mental railroads was marked to-
day by grant TO the Great Falls
(Mont.) Power company to transmit,
over public domain under strict gov.
erumcnt regulations, power for the
clectrificatioD of 45O miles of tracks
of the main line of the Chicago, Mil
uaukee Puget Sound railroad, be-
tween Harlowtown. Mont. and Avery,
Ida
The fact that the Great Falls com
psny was ''willing TO accept the fullest
provisions for the protection of public
interests, even where all it was ask
ing was for transmission line,n is
of even greater Importance from the
public benefit point of view. assorted
Secretary Fisher today, than the fur.
ther great clectrification OF railroads
which must follow.
"1t demonstrates, he continued.
not only that the provisions for pro.
tcction of the public interest upon
which the department OF the interior
insists, do not prohibit water power de-
vclopmcnt, as been claimed by it's op-
pouonts, but that the greatest develop
ment which has yet taken place in the
practical application of electricity can
be and is being taken under these very
PROVISIONS The power company and
the department found that they could
cooperate cordially and effectively in
liking the terms Of grant so as TO
recognize effectively both public and
private interests and rights
The grant, which is for fifty years,
vas worked out under the act of March
i, 1911, relating to electrical transmits
sions. telephone and telegraph lines
Secretary Fisher said it should be a
precedent which will have Tar
reaching effect
The grant is subject to readiustment
every ten years, provides for regula-
tion Of rates and service, the sale of
power to the United States, the state
duu SiIlSo oI as ~" tdIc dS Is SlN Gu
any other buyer, and prohibits the
transfer of the permit without the ap-
proval of the secretary Of the interior,
In addition to furnishing power for
elcctrlfcation of part OF the Chicago.
Milwaukee and Puget Sound railroad,
the Great Falls Power company also viii
deliver power to the mines at Rutte and
Anaconda and to all other classes OF
power consumers which can be served
by them.
Interior department officials expect
that much OF II ultimately will be used
for pumping Irrigation water on land
now arid.
The amount OF rental charged the
power company in the first ten years
Will be nominal; and Secretary Fisher
said ne thought IT should remain al low
figure, $50 long as the prices exacteo
OF power consumers arc reasonable"
The first decade rental charge is five
mills per 900 kilowatt hours. The secre-
tary thinks the fact that his successor
al the end OF each ten year period vii
have the power tc increase the renta
charge. II II should appear that the com.
pany was charging consumers undul5
high prices, will OF itself and without
the exercise OF that power, exert a con-
slant pressure upon the company inr
duclng II to make it's prices reasonable.
The company's transmission line, bull
several years ago. was under Z permit
rcvocable at any time BY the secretary
10 spend millions OF dollars on electri
Acation as long as the power company
tights were revocable at any time bl