The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-01-08
gLEcrRIc powER MgN ALAAMep
See Trouble Ahead in Proposed De-
veIopment in Vermont.


The bill before the Vermont legis-
lature to charter the Southern Yer
mont Power company is evidently at
tracing attention outside of the
state. Naturally persons interested
in the manufacture OF electricity for
lighting and power purposes are
among those who are closely follow
ing the course of the bill.
rhs Banner has rscAveu an article
Written By L. P, Perry u Providence,
P. L, ~6 10 ,coffneStsd with thu
Narrsgansett Electric Lighting COM
pany, Mr. Perry contends that It
would be an economic mistake for
the state TO permit the development
of Vermont water powers for trans
mis- sion outside OF the state. Some
of the statements made by Mr.. Perry
are not entirely borne out by the
facts in the case, but these discrep-
ancies are undoubtedly largely due
to limited knowledge of conditions
in Vermont His article is as fol-
lows:
1.-THE rapid development of hydro
electrical energy on the rivers of
Vermont and Massachusetts and the
just disclosed plans of certain COM
panies controlling a greater part of
this development to transmit the
energy thus produced to other states,
particularly Connecticut and Rhode
Island, and to sell it there at lower
prices than is charged locally has d.
rected attention to the imperative
necessity of Immediately restricting
the distribution of this energy so as
TO secure to home industries the adj
vantages of cheap power before it is
allowed 70 be exported into other
states.
Cheap power is one of the most i'm
portant factors in the development of
industry, and Vermont being largely
a manufacturing state, is dependent
upon this necessity, and as the riv-
ers of Vermont are limited in their
capacity to produce hydro-electric
energy il is therefore vital TO the fu-
ture prosperity of the State that this
energy be reserved for our industries
and not permitted TO be sent out of
the state to the detriment of our big
manufacturing plants which are the
source of wealth anG prosperity of
our Green Mountain State.
The rivers of Vermont, capable of
developing hydro-electric energy, are
limited in number and are capable at
the present time of a further develop
ment of only a few thousands OF
horse power and yet, notwithstand-
ing this fact although there is a
market in our state for much power
which is now being produced from ex
pensiye coal, these power companies
are proposing TO export this energy
and sell II in ether states at very
low rates.
Our railroads and trolleys are al
ready falling into the grasp of An OPP
pressive monopoly which is arousing
widespread indignation and is spur
ring OH 10 drastic action even the
Congress of the United States and 1t
now appears that this very same
octopus has, indirectly of course, all
but secured control of the entire de-
yelopment of hydro-electric energy In
our state.
With steam coal already in its
grasp through its control of trans
portation and stock ownership in coal
companies, ii would be a great wrong
to permit this white coal" the cheap
power dream of our manufacturers.
to also fall into New Haven control.
Malcolm G. Chase, Vice-President
OF this New England Power Com
pany, is the authority for the state
| ment that Mellen Has made a con-
tract With us" (The New England
Power company ito run for ninety
years and supply him (Mellen) with
power for the Hoosac Tunnel for all
the Berkshire division OF trolleys,
the Worcester trolleys" and chart
er has also been secured in Rhode
Island which will permit them to sup
ply the Rhode Island trolleys, show
ing purpose 10 utilize every horse
power of hydro-electric energy pos
sible to be produced from the rivers
of Vermont and Massachusetts,.
This state of affairs has become so
apparent that already movement
has been started to protect the indus
tries of Vermont and to insure to
them this cheap power, ana to that
end bill is also to be introduced in
to the Massachusetts Legislature pro-
hibiting the expectation of electric
energy until Massachusetts industries
have been served.
The State of Maine, possessing ten
times the undeveloped water power
of Vermont, being confronted with a
similar condition of affairs Wien
these very same interests, after grasp
ing valuable power sites in that State
were preparing to export this energy,
acted at once and passed drastic
regulating bill which saved to the
state and its industries this most
valuable asset The bill is as fol-
lows:
Chapter 244. Laws of 1909
An Act to prohibit corporations
from transmitting Electric Power be-
yond the confines of the State.
Section l. No corporation, unless
expressly ~'~--'--' so to do by spec
ial act of legislation, shall transmit
or convey beyond the confines of the
state for the purpose of furnishing
power, heat or light, any electric
current generated directly or indirect
ly, by any water power in this state;
nor sell or furnish, directly or indi-
rectly, to any person, firm or corpor-
alton, any electric current so general
ed to be transmitted or conveyed be-
yond the confines of the state for
any OF such purposes. Nothing in
this act, however, shall prevent any
railroad corporation doing business In
this state from transmitting electric
current. however generated, beyond
the confines OF the state for the pur-
pose of operating its road between
some point in the state ana any point
or points beyond its confines.
Section 2 Any corporation violat-