The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-01-06
OUTSIDE CAPITAL
NECESSARY FOR
DEVELOP MENT
Our Water Powers Must Remain
Useless Without 1t
FIRST COST IS ENORMOUS
Conservationist" Insists That Owner
ship is Immaterial If Publlc's
Rights are Safeguarded.

Editor OF Inc DdlhSi IL
several of your recent issues,
on the streets, at the clubs and var
ious public gatherings in this sec
ton of late, there has been consld-
cradle discussion of the question OF
development of Vermont's wafer
power facilities. This debating OF
an important subject ordinarily
ought to be helpful, but l submit we
are hearing little or nothing but one
side of the issue. AS usual when any
great forward movement is commenc'
ed. we hear from the dissenters frst.
This of itself, however. ought not 10
settle our opinions, nor confirm mas
tiIy formed Judgment upon the facts:
The application to the Legislature OF
the Southern Vermont light ana po"
er company for charter mas served
TO bring out the usual number OF CO.
iectors and sceptical opponents oil me
movement.
At the outset wish it understood
that | hold no brief for the Southern
Vermont light and power company
or any other company. | am only IN
tereste in this subject as one pam
citizen who desires to SEE our great
water power resources developed ana
used for the benefit of mankind, and
in this view | believe that all we need
10 demand is: First that we be as
sured that sufficient and responsible
capital is back OF each company,
and. second, that the public rights ana
interests are properly safeguarded IN
the franchises | also know mat
there are literally millions OF horse
power in our waters going TO waste
i'm the Green Mountains annually
that our watersheds are being denud-
ed by wateful forestry methods III
cutting off the timber thereon-tl.us
diminishing this great embarrassed
water power; that erosion of the soil
is occurring in all directions on these
watersheds, which ought to be stop
ped at once or the said power VIII
be wholly lost, and that this can only
be accomplished by means oil the
agency of public service corporations
or by the state itself in its collective
sovereign apacity-which means
Socialism. Putting aside the prop
ability of the state government tax
ing up the development of this valu'
able natural resource, we then nave
the alternative of either permitting
private initiative and capital TO do
this. for us, or allowing it to go to
waste absolutely Which do we
want?
Now, directors are all right in
their place, and if their objections are
valid and worthy OF consideration
they perform a public service. But
let us see what they are obJecung 10
any way. Their imaginations in TINS
case have conjured up all sorts oil
direfu things from the development
of water power by private capital.
They see Vermont in the tentacles oil
some giant capitalistic octupus. They
behold our people deprived OF all
their valuable public rights. priv.
leees and immunities and in the end
we are to find ourselves nothing but
complaisant yassals in the hands oil
mcnopolsts However, If these Wis
ions are given careful examination
under the miscroscope of reason and
practical experience they quickly
fade away, and behold we find moth
ing but Don QuiXote charging at
imaginary windmills
The first real question is: Do we
want foreign or outside capital to de
velop our water power? And pray
why not? If we do not get outside
capital to do this, certainly ii Will
never be done at all-every well-in
formed citizen of Vermont knows this
to be true. In developing wafer
power the first cost is immense; 1t re
quires a large investment without
any returns for a considerable period
of time. The erection of dams, reseI
voirs, plants, buildings. connecting
and transmitting lines, etc, etc, is a
hugs undertaking and we all know
| Vermont citizens are not ready and
/ willing TO do this. Another thing
suppose this development were under
taken wholly by local corporations
composed entirely OF Vermont citi
zens and capital would we grant
| them any more extensive power IN
their charters? Certainly not
So the vital inquiry now is: Ar,
] Ant lAEnAr VI AnG EtANAaA HnbAiN "
Vermont properly safeguarded in tbs
charters OF these companies. or b,
( general OF special statutes on this
subject? Before the legislature car
grant to any public service corpor
alton the right of eminent domain
/ (that is. the right TO take private
i property for public use without th'
consent Of the owner thereof ant
without tins power no cOmapny corl'
develop our water power to any eX
tent-that body must see TO it tha
the rights Of the public in that be
half are safeguarded by proper legis
lation let Is not forget this fact
The general public must have IN
right - use the electric product o
these companies on equal terms an
without discrimination, and the cen
panies are TO be regulated by Law a
10 the prCe charged 10 the public 20
such product And the public is d
have this right as a matter Of rishi
and not dependent upon the favor o
the COMPANIES. The COmparie
must charge a reasonable price 70
-