Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-08-25
WATER POWERS
NOT COLD MINES
Steam Plants Compete Closely
In Electric Production.
By HERMAN B. WALKER,

There have been few questions be-
fore congress concerning which so
much misunderstanding and misinfor-
nation exists as with reference to the
pending water power legislation. The
Shields and Myers bills propose terms
under which capital will be encouraged
to build water power plants. Oppo-
nents Of these measures would pass
laws the effect of which would be to
discourage investment in these enter
prises.
Nobody denies the Importance of our
water powers or that it Is we'll to have
them put to work. To be told, however.
as the country has been told. that wa
ter powers are so important and valua-
bic that a great trust is seeking to
grab and control them all in order that
1t may dominate all power using indus
tries in the country, is ridiculous to one
who knows anything Of the question.
In the first place, water power Is not
always cheap power. In many sections
Of the country 1t is cheaper to generate
by steam than to develop the
local water powers. The steam turbine
and other improvements in machinery
in the last dozen years have brought
about this situation. The average cost
Of building water power plant is from
500 to $50 per horsepower Some
very large water powers can be devel-
oped for less, but they are the eXcep-
tons. A big modern steam plant can
be built for $40 or $50 per horsepower
Counting interest, taxes, depreciation,
obsolescence. etc, on this additional
it often happens that 1t is
cheaper to build and buy coal for
steam plant. The actual economy in
use OF water powers is confined solely
to the saving in coal and labor bills.
Then, too, the question of which kind
Of power is cheaper depends very
much upon the use made Of the pow
err Electric current in large quaint
ties cannot be put in storage and kept
until needed. 1t must be generated at
the moment Of use. Where electricity
Is used for chemical. metallurgical and
other industries which run day and
night, water power may be cheaper.
even counting larger interest and over
head charges. 1t doesn't cost much
more to run a water power plant con-
than to run it few hours
l day. The more continuously it is op.
Grated the less is the cost per kilowatt
If the current generated. Where pow
er Is needed for general utility pur-
lighting, street cars and
Industries that run only eight or ten
hours a day-the water power plant is
lot economical, because its full capac-
ty, which must be used to make the
)ower cheap, cannot he utilized, and 1t
s often cheaper to generate current In
steam plant which can be shut down
part Of the time without so much loss
n overhead charges.
1t Is like farmer borrowing money
o buy tractor to do his blowing. If
lie has farm big enough to keep the
machine busy most Of the time, it Is
good investment and saves him mon
". If he has only few acres to plow,
md the machine stands idle most of
he time, it would be cheaper for him
o do his small blowing with a horse.
For the reasons given a big steam
liant is now being built in Buffalo, al
hough Niagara Falls, the biggest wa
err power plant in the world, Is only
few miles away. Buffalo's utilities
nd industries, running only part of
he time, can get power cheaper from
oal, while big chemical plants which
VA day and night have located at Nj
over is the cheapest available.
Where there are water powers that |
an be developed and operated advan.
ageously it frequently happens that t.
Sc them to advantage these water |
overs have to be supplemented by |
tream viii have Il low wafer season
t time when another stream Is run
ing in flood. If these two water pow. |
rs can be united in ore system 1t l.
DSSible to get n more constant enc |
inform supply OF power than If they
re under separate control.
Chief Engineer o. {. Merrill. Of the
=. S. Forest Service. explains the all
antages OF MONOPOLY in TIE power |
usiness in n recent report to the Unit
States Senate, as follows
Monopolization OF the supply in any Civ |
n territory makes possible through in |
erconnection Of stations and through |
iversihcation Of load. economies OF OPP |
ration that would not be possible for iso- |
,ted Independent stations. Interruptions |
0 service may be lessened. the needs OF |
he customer may be better served and |
ates may be lower with single power
ystem than with several No better serv-
ce Is given and no lower rates charged
han in California where. notwithstand-
ne the considerable municipal develop
nent 90 per cent Of the total primary
,ower is owned by public service cor
,orations. or In Montana, where SO per
,ent is owned by two affiliated corpora
ions.
Water powers are not always gold
mines by any means. The records
how that something like S12o,OOO,VOO
s invested in water power plants IN
he United States that have been IN
operation for a number of years with
nut having paid dividend to the stock
holders and in some cases without hav-
ng earned interest on their bonds.
Census figures show that the average
net earnings of all commercial power
stations in the country. steam and wa
ter power combined. are only about
per cent on the investment and that
the profits of water power companies
have been less than ) per cent.
WILL MY CHILD TAKE DR.. KINGS
NEW DISC AESY?