The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-05-12

ment you make Is at variance WIN
the statements of all the companies
operating boats on that section OF the
river. The storage Of water IN the
night time, without any authority OF
congress, the building Of ners IN the
forebay, without any authority OF con.
gress. simply shows the character OF
this great corporation ana what II
will do II 1t is permitted to have It's
own way, and your organization seems
20 be in favor of turning the river
over to 1t to do with 1t what 1t pleases.
The fight I am making has only just
commenced and propose to keep IL
UP until the matters to which l am
calling attention are remedied and IN
making this fight am better repre-
senting the citizens Of your own city
than your organization is doing.
1 know OF no reason why the gov
eminent engineer in charge at 'keo-
kuk should be furnished. at govern
ment expense, with building MADE
of Gu. stone in which to 1--WE. His
services at Keokuk have been IN the
interests solely of the power company.
He has recommended nothing that ola
not meet with the approval of the en-
gineers OF the power company. While
he is supposedly to be there for the
purpose OF protecting navigation at
that point and looking after the IN
terests of steamboat companies oper-
atins on the river he has confined his
energies toward promoting the inter
est of the company chat built the dam.
I am reliably informed tina, the Mis-
sissippi River Power company, nm
anced largely in England, has violated
both the laws OF Iowa and the laws of
Illinois by paying dividends on it's
stock before it aver earned a dollar
and before single wheel was turned
II your organization Is interested IN
the enforcement of the laws either OF
Iowa or of Illinois some o: your act
ivities could be profitably employed in
the matter Of calling the attention OF
the law Officers of those states to such
violations Of the law as this.
I am surprised at the statement you
make to the effect that power rates at
Keokuk are much lower than they
are a. Niagara. I am prepared to
furnish evidence that this statement
is not true Not long ago some citi-
zens of Illinois, in connection with
Chicago and New York capitalists,
deceived by the statement made by
representatives OF the power company
to the effect that power there would
be much cheaper than at Niagara
Falls. expended over $4,000 in ar
ranging for the location at Hamilton
of one of the largest electro-chemica
manufacturing concerns In the coun-
try. which would utilize something
like 10000 horse power. They plan
ned for an investment OF over mil
lion dollars. After the fsans were
perfected, at meeting of those In
terested held in New York City. the
mower company's agent advised them
that he was only empowered to quo.e
a rate of s3s per horse power year.
The original contracts OF the COM
many for power at Niagara were closed
at ten dollars per horse power year
and they were able to close another
contract for additional power at
Niagara fer twelve dollars per horse
rover year. Representatives of the
Stone & Webster interests advised
this company that they did net intend
to make rates as low as Niagara This
ended the negotiations and the city OF
Hamilton los: this investment
7 may say to you also that | know
about the situation at Quincy. Illinois,