The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-04-28
|CH|LD TALKS ON
| INDUSTRIAL WORK
Author and Attorney For Mlsssssippi
River Power Company Makes
Address at DurIinsten
Ysstefdsy.
TWO GREAT OBSTACLES
"Watesfui waiting" Condition o.
sus.nsss and Disparas,ns Re-
ports Which Hsvs Bee"
Circulated.
TWO GREAT OBSTACLES

Richard washburn Child, author
and attorney for the industrial depart
ment Of the Mississippi River Power
company was the guest In Burlinston
yesterday OF W. II. Davidson ana 20
dressed the noon meeting Of the Com
mercfal Exchange on the subject OF
industrial work. Mr.. c. B. Rhodes
industrial agent for the power COM
pany accompanied Mr.. Child FoHo"-
ing the talk by Mr.. Child there was
considerable discussion on the part Of
the members.
In his talk TO the Buriinsgton ousi.
ness men Mr.. Child coversd points
as follows:
There are many OF the socAiled
"prcspects' which are Disappointing.
II there Is any fake promoter who
has not approached one or more OF
the communities In tbs power sone
Tor this department OF the Missis-
.,ppi River Power Coz, We have not
vet heard from him. The work II one
which also requires. besides the ro-
tsction OF unworthy ventures. great
deal OF patience and detailed iaoof.
II usually means q careful stndy OF
each plants particular requirements
ana very often tho power cost 10 :
small matter as compared with the
problems OF freight rates, labor, ana
geographical situation OF materla's.
Mr.. Rhodes has seen. however, sono
thirty prospects which he 10 WILING
TO consider seriously, and the moro
nromisins OF these prospects would
BRING into this valley nav popuia-
ton. new production. and new pros
nerity. the effect Of which would Dc
much larger than any unthinhng per.
sons would imagine. I, for one, 40
not question the success OF MT.
Rhodes and his department In local.
inr some OF these Industries. It win
take patience and I believe that II
win take the active cooperation OF
the cities where our power IS avail
able.
take this occasion to ezpr .ss the
annreciation OF Mr.. Trawick, the man
aeer OF the company. OF Mr.. Rhodes
and all their assistants, for the friend
" and cooperative spirit whicn mas
been shown by men in Burlington ana
especially by Mr.. Egan In his omcaa'
capacity.
Ar. Two Great Obstacles.
believe firmly that the two great
est obstacles to the success OF 'no
industrial work which tbs company
Ia doing, and which the communit1es
40 doing. too. are Hrst, the watcn-
IN, waiting state Of American Dusl
neaa and secondhand mean to en-
nba.,ze this-the circulation OF false
reports disparaging the opportunities
which are offered by the cities In tnis
| valley and by the location on q s.'
hydraulic power plant In the missile.
sippi. The false reports which
| aneak are those which have mad CON
siderable publicity in the east Wnel
many OF our prospects are TO os
Tonnd They are contained In the
assertions that the development OF
th,. water power has not chsapenso
tho co.t ~ power rs compared to tho
cost OF power generated BY coal anu
steam. When came to TINS reSon !.
few weeks ago 1 was interests
.roues, To look into this and l think
that three things which found sre
sumcient 70 convincs tho everase
mind
Forty Converted Plants.
r found that nearly forty large
steam generating plants including
those of ten public utilities had oeen
replaced or equipped for the servo.
o, the water power energy 1t totA
exp .nse to the buyers OF that enere,
=, ~ 500. 900 in new investment o.
their own. I asked myself why thu
investment had been made II It were
trio that power could be general &c
Az cheaply by coal. Then I had al
engineer of unprejudice0 mind inves
tigate twenty-five private industries
which had replaced their steam DRIVE
by an electric drive from the Massis
sipd River Power companys serves
and asked myself why these pusi
ness men had changed over from tnei
individual plants to our service, ans
then the engineer came back and san
, that he found that on the old steam
plants the cost was 321.0o to $500
. nar horaeoover n wear and that OF