The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1915-12-03

Electrically speaking, the people OF
Bingham county might as we'll sit
down and do some thinking. 1t will
be money in pocket for them to dc
so and it will dispense some false
hopes now being entertained. In
the galaxy of new undertakings con-
stantly coming, people have bought
stock in about everything from coil
spring bicycle tires and eucalyptus
plantations to thornless cactus, with
out first learning whether their
merits and possibilities were ever
heard of outside of the pipe dreams
Of the promoters. Some smooth art
list should canvass our people to sell
stock in wireless heaters to receive
their energy from counterparts to be
installed in the river, and required
only rs per cent to be paid down,
and the rest on delivery of the heat
in the house-he would get the rs
per cent from lot of us.
But electricity has its limitations,
reports to the contrary notwithstand-
ing. Electricity is not at present sue
cessful in heating houses, nor is there
evidence that it will be. It is merely
one of the things tried out and hop
ed for, like peace in Europe. Houses
have been built without chimneys
and with electric heaters, and the
owners have kept up cheerful as
surance that everything Is we'll, but
troubles, like Heinz's pickles, keep
coming in 81 varieties. Conspic-
uous examples of electric heating are
found on the Minidoka and Twin
Falls tracts where giant pumping
plants were installed to lift water for
irrigation for the summer months,
and contracts were made to employ
the electrical energy as a by-product
for lighting and heating for the rest
of the year, at low prices for electri-
city, but high prices as compared
with fuel. The tremendous expense
for up-keep of the transmission lines
for SO much power staggers the COM
mercial agents. and if the income
from the irrigation contracts were
cut off to put them on a par with
plants built merely for lighting and
heating the system would collapse.
The syndicate furnishing the SER
vice having mounted its horse for
public service, the utilities commits
sion commands it to extend the SER
vice to all applicants Results, heav-
Ter cables, longer lines, more of them
and no chance to stop on account of
red ink in the ledgers. At Minidoka
the government installed the pump
ing plant and started to light and
hu
body on the tract objected of course.
made obeisGnce to those
knights of the switch who were ad-
vising Uncle Sam, and everybody was
she dting to have the circuit made as
arge as the orbit of Mars. When
were looking cheerful, the
layur of Idaho Falls went down to
see If reports we're true, and he !!
and that lighting and heating were
going on and at low rate. He re
ported back to his council that II |
.inidoka could harness the Cataract
to heat their houses, Idaho Falls |
C uld do it, and they pro eeded to
b, nd their town to buy the necessar!
leather for the harness.
They have since sat down in a
luiet corner and done some thinking
hat has not been very much pro-
claimed. The old municipal lighting
plant has not yet been paid for. The
bonds are still on interest and the
liant is not only deprecated to the
point, but the city has
spent good money to fill up the old
anal leading to it, and 1t is called
| street. Added to that, they are
lot doing the heating stunt yet. Just
light and power, and it is
inc, but nobody knows what 1t is
osting. The utilities commission
las been unable to get an accounting
o see whether the man who uses
,ower and light is actually paying its
ull cost or part of 1t being paid in
axes from the general fund.
Whether depre cation (the wearing
,ut) and the interest on the bonds
md the bonds themselves. are being
covered by the monthly collections.