Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-03-09
Other Bill Next Week

| Much of the same ground and con-
siderable new matter is likely to be
gone over next Wednesday when the
| bill introduced by Rep. Baxter of Port
land providing for a water power COM
mission to investigate the rights of
the State in Maine water powers,
which was alluded to at various times
during the present hearing will be con-
sidered in detail.
1t was $3.50 when the calendar Of the
judiciary committee was cleared and
Rep. Dutton put on witness for the
proponents of his bill H. B. Whipple
of Bingham. Mr. Whipple declared it
to be his belief that light and power
could be produced much more cheaply
under State ownership and cited a
mass of figures to prove his statement.
Even II II Cost More
Cross examined by Attorney Carter,
Mr.. Whipple admitted that he would
rather have government ownership
than private ownership even if it cost
more and that he had so written Wal
ter S Wyman. the manager of the
Central Maine Power Company.
| The Remonstrants
| This concluded the case of the pro-
ponentS of the Dutton bill and Mr..
Carter in opening for the remonstrants
pointed out the difference in regard
| to the laws of England and the Prov
inces and the State of Maine in regard
to the ownership of water powers and
said that the State of Maine owned no
water power at the present time unless
it was some small stream upon what
was left of its public domain while in
England and in the Provinces there
was crown ownership of certain class
es of property.
N. Y. Against Ontario System
R. p. Bolton, engineering expert of
New York, was the first witness of the
afternoon Tor the remonstrants. He told
of the extensive Investigations made
by the state of New York in regard to
state ownership and development Of
water powers and said that the state
after expending 100000 and Investigate
ing thoroughly the Ontario commits
sion and various municipal expert
mentS throughout the country, had de-
Cided against such n system.
Mr. Bolton said that the commits
sion was fundamentally in error and
that was one OF the reasons why the
/ system was not recommended for New
/ York.
! Mr.. Bolton said that in state and mu-
nicipal owned plants there was always
/ a tendency to make lower rates than
! could be afforded. He cited the fact
that these operations always begun on
| borrowed capital and that there was
no free capital as one of the reasons
| against success He told of visiting the
Seattle municipal hydro-electric plant
| which he declared was one of the most
successful in the country and had the
! lowest rates for power and lighting
public or private. Of any in the country.
| In their success, he said, the fact had
been lost sight Of that at the outset 90
percent. of their capital was borrowed
capital and that there was at the pres
ent time an average Of 2S.9 per cent.
AS Attorney Carter continued the
presentation of his case Rep Baxter
asked him what organizations he rep
resented and the Auburn lawyer stat
ed that ne represented the Androscog-
gin Electric Co., the Central Maine
Power Co.. the Cumberland County
Power & Light Co. and the Chisholm
| interests.
| Mr. Bolton stated that the Ontario
hydro electric commission originated
at a conference Of manufacturers in a
controversy over the development of
the water power in the Niagara PENN
sula. Mr.. Bolton stated that Maine had
the largest development Of water pow
err per capita. sixteenth per cent. and
that California was the next with four
and cne-half terths per cent. and New
| York third.
did not these Ontario manufacturers
want this hydro electric commission
/ because they thought that it would
serve them BETTER" asked Rep. Bax-
ter.
| "At the expense Of the state" replied
! Mr.. Bolton.
| There was lively tilt between Mr..
/ Bolton and Mr.. Yates of ST. Gather
| ines. Ont. the expert witness Of the
proponents offered yesterday, following
! which Mr.. Bolton made the statement
that in spite Of the invitation of Sir
| Adam Beck. the chairman Of the hy-
dro-electrfc commission, he was never
able to go through the accounts Of the
| commission.