The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1916-01-13

The question has often been asked
me, elbow much does your power
cost ?" People have also told me that
the electrical way was good way to
irrigate if it didn't cost so much.
Others have told me that my alfalfa
looked good, 'but then you have the
water" Men of good repute have told
me that l have equal to double water
right for 40 acres.
Now in answer to these queries and
in justice to the Power company, l
want to say, considering the present
efficiency, l have one Of the best as
well as one of the cheapest water sys-
TENS know of anywhere. have been
on irrigated ranches in New Mexico,
where the owner controlled all the wa
ter, built his own dam, and can
truthfully say that it was a continual
expense, fixing that dam. He hauled
manure and brush and had a gang of
Mexicans going and coming all the
time. His name was j. B. Dawson. He
owned and controlled several thousand
acres at the present site of Dawson,
N. M. / worked for him in the year
1883 and 1889. This water cost him
nothing but his fixed charge was some
thing enormous.
/ was in Boise, Idaho, last winter
and Investigated conditions under the
New York ditch where you buy shares
and are entitled to water according to
the number of shares you own. While
the price of water was reduced to
minimum, yet the amount invested in
shares, which had cash value of $40
per share at that time, equalled the
cost of power here, and yet they did
not have nearly enough water so the
government was building storage res
ervoirs which will increase the price.
So, the price of the shares was the
fixed charge there.
If we should do away with the pow
er and harness the Columbia river it
would cost us as much and probably
more than our electric power and it
would require an immense combination
of capital to do it.
Now as to the cost of power, shall
go into little detail. We will drop
the term kilowatt, also fixed charge,
for the time and use solar time. In
month Of 80 days there are 720
hours. For the first 30 hours my g.
horse power motor and 3-inch pump
costs me $2.O2s; the second 80 hours
$1.35, the next 120 hours, $4.O5, and
the next 24O hours, $40, making a
total Of 420 hours, leaving 800 hours
at 1h cents per hour or $3.37A, maxi
ing total of $16.20 per month. If l
run continuously for six month with !
out one shut down the cost for the sea-
son will be $97.2O. A 31-day month
will be 81 cents more. Now to this
add the fixed charge of $4,000 for the
year, which makes my total cost
$133.3O.
Now take the Irrigation company's |
cost Of $1.00 per acre, which everyone
knows is not enough, and apply it to
my forty acres. To begin with the !
annual maintenance would be $4,000.
To this must be added the cost of a
water right at $50 an acre, or $4,000,
interest on which at per cent would
be $120 per year, which added to $40,
makes $3.50 per year for single wa
ter right. If had a double water
right the cost would be $4,000 more
per year or total of $240. Some
fixed charge there!
Again, if assumed debt of $4,000
and agreed to pay it annually at $50
per year it would take me 55 SO years
to pay it. The term "fixed charge"
seems to have a bad effect on many
people when in reality it reduces the
cost elsewhere and exists in name
only.
The democrats took off the revenue
and put on war tax. What's the