The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-01-28

prevent its being piped to neighboring |
states and of the United States supreme /
court holding that the acts of the leg I
islatures of those states were uncon- |
stitutional.
Pennsylvania, however, has been more
successful. Two or three wears ago |
the state put a tax on all coal mined, |
a small tax, but this is dedicated to
the development of industries that To-
cate in Pennsylvania. This spells dis
aster to New England. Industries that
consume a great amount of heat are
going to locate near q coal mine. That
is why we do not have glass works in
Vermont, or steel works. The larger
commercial bodies of New England
have seen this tendency and the con-
servation movement which has been
started will grow tremendously in the
next five years.
Deerfield's Steady Flow
The speaker then gave numerous il
| Illustrations to show the value of water
power for the development of electrici-
ty Experience has shown that the av-
erage precipitation of water in this
| section is about A inches a year Elk
perience also shows that about one
half of all water that falls runs off
the other half being consumed by the
soil and lost by evaporation. In Som
Ierset, where the forest growth is
dense, the evaporation is not over two
thirds as great as here.
In the Deerfield valley, where twice
year on the average the east branch
of the Deerfield was a roaring torrent
and the rest of the time babbhno
brook, 1t now has a steady flow OF
water controlled by the big dam at
Soppapsa+
flow of the river at a point where it is
of value, whereas before the develop
ment the minimum flow was valueless
; Referring to the benefit the chear
{ electric power brought about by the
conservation of the water of the Con
nectlcut at Vernon, he said that the
use of electricity here for domestic
and street lighting purposes has more
than doubled since 1909. 1t is likely
to double every eight years, he said.
, The minimum flow of the Deerfeld
river since the development of the now
or there is p times more than If was
II there should be stored at Vernon
one day flood water the minimum
now at Vernon would be more thar
; doubled and the real value of the pIant
much more than doubled.
Another Lake Planned.
,, Probably 100000 will be spent tbi.
year on the development of a seronf
Connecticut lake.
lie said he had strongly felt for somt
time that the only feasible wav tn ga
the correct, scientific and complete De
VeIopment of the water powers was T,
nave the state, do it in some way. II
no other way can the development Of
I our resources be assured He said thai
l IL would be entirely feasible to develof
= 10000 horsepower on West river fol
an investment of five millions of dol
e lars. 1t would mean the reviyifca+io,
Il of the valley. He predicted that tn,
o population of Wilmington would doubt
IN a decade and that 100000 woul
De spent there this year and that tn
sum OF 100000 would be spent il
e Readsboro in hydro-electric develop
f ment
e Mr.. Fits told of the passage Of
Y bill drawn by him in 1914 bv which
/ ! conservation. commission has been n,
= pointed to make investigations and ac
, cept proposals for the storage of wa
d ter which is tps cost sthes stale nothin
e but which is to be controlled by tn
{ state Vermont has done more in thi
Is regard than any other New Englan
e state. The development of electri
z power means the reduction in the nun
V Der of tons of coal hauled into tn
It state. The development of 10000 hors
II power on West river would save tn
# hauling into the state of 100000 ton
= of coal.
k He told of the fight of the Connect
j. cut River Power Co. to get accepted i
It the charter of the company the right t
k take land for howage rights throug
f. eminent domain and that had this nc
been granted where the right was to b
used for public benefit not dolla
would have been spent in the develop
to ment of the water power in the Dee
,e field valley.
II