Oxford Democrat., 1918-05-28
Water Powers
in Maine

10 1t necessary for the sdve
Gates Of tho development Of vse,
powers BY the State to m,i,
sweeping statements which IN
10 . large measure untrue .ud |
clearly misleading In ords, 10 |
maintain their position on u. |
Water Power question?
In the first place the develop
ment ct Rumford Falls was 20. |
sn entirely new development |
which made the cost lower than
IL would otherwise have been sM
in the second place the cost Of |
development ct Rumford Falls b |
not . fair illustration from which
to make . comparison, 10, II
Rumford Falls there 10 q wsts
fsll of one hundred feet and E
Rumford Falls the cost Of develop
ment 10 cheaper than is any other
power development east Of ths
Mississippi River, excepting It |
Niagara; moreover, the cost va
MORE THAN ONE MILLION
DOLLARS, how much more VA
not stated and the paper quoted
wss not warranted In assuming
that 1t Was Q little above that SON
Bot on the basis stated The
development at Rumford Pill'
presents other phases Of the qust
tion which enter into the cost Of
development. For example, The
Rumford Falls Power Co., owing
10 tho class of customers 1t SerH
70 practically required to develop
moro than the amount Of PM
NARY power available Is isls
guard against accidents, thereby
reducing the cost per horse poS9
installed, as sgsins. the power
earning revenue, In proportion TO
tho excess developed.
A statement that cannot sue
cessfully be converted Is that th'
average cost per water horn
power In Maine Is not less than
$4,000 exclusive OF the cost Of
transmission and distribution.
Al On example, the great ALL
cohos Dam cost one million DOL
lars and the amount OF power
available ct that dam II ds's'
oped for power purposes Is stated
to be 1900 horse power, /"
that the cost without FLUAG,
HEAD GATES, or ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT Is still slSlM pG
horse power.
Again the impression Is given
that because power may bs g'''
Grated comparatively cheap u
ono point that the consumer u
paying an exorbitant price '0i
lighting bis house or for u'' o.
power. Why should not the l"0'
be met In . fair spirit9
The writer of the article quotM
must know that 1t costs Iaiv
sums of money to transmit slss
trio current from It's source "
tho place OF use; that 1t reqolia
pole lines, transformers, isfne'
lines, meters, etc. That tho as
tribution to the customers u oS
Of the largest items OF cost 'pa
also maintenance; that tnefs ~. y
also . loss Of power between ~, y,
point Of generation and the nss. n.y..
Of the consumer; that the lsv. y.
cost is largely chargsabls to n'
distribution system.
Why does the writer OF .s'. -:
editorial dodge the fscs .'s ..'.
power that is sold on . cons'ssS' =.
basis Of twenty.four hours u, ~. y.
day and Oh Sl2 or Ss5 days 10 wv -,
year, 10 . very different %.". ..a
from power that is sold 10 . nous :,
holder for lighting purpo," ~ =
to Q user OF . motor ior ~ ~.
honrs a dav and where tn'
tion Of THAT tho service corp0is
tion 10 obliged to be reao' "
furnish ct any time?
B.sor. making statements eh,rs,
Ing persops who are dsveiop'.ys py
electric power and trying 70 -, I mn.
The needs Of the public with ~. lT
gally over.ohsrging tho puU"s p1"s
Why not investigate what q. . p0. .....
factor means, what tho dlns!ss., dls.,,
. between primary and ''cS.cSI!. cs.s.Is.
which these people who o., .',"rsa
water powers have to INV" IN.
themselves before they can ~
bark on the enterprise.
Il tbi. paper quoted .bOV. ., 'as sSs
|ne to commit tho people =.
Ststs Of Maine to undertake
costing miIilS,o,u y, N,o,ur
dollars on the amount Of ,D,vas s;.".
Hon possessed on this :up's'
'hown By Tie editorial c's'o' !
7 ~ prNNELL, u