Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-06-12
Water Powers in
Maine

4
the most noteworthy enterprises in.
volving power and storage devotion.
ment to the extent Of more than 90. O00
horse power and an expenditure Of
large sums of money have been made
| But the Lewiston Journal insists
that there Is a combination OF corpor.
atoms that is hostile to the welfare of
Maine and it calls this supposed com.
bination The Octopus 1t infers
that sixteen corporations control
nearly all the water powers 10 Maine
and constitute 'srhe Octopus" Let
us examine into the component parts
of THE Octopus" The owners of
the developed water powers of Maine
are well known. The list includes:
The Union Water Power Company
| of Lewiston and its allied interests,
the Union Electric Company and the
Androscoggin Reservoir Company,
the sources of power for operating the
| great Cotton Mills Of Lewiston.
| The Androscoggin Electric Company
which supplies Lewiston and Auburn
with light and power. and furnishes
the motive power to the Street Rail-
road aud to the Portland aud Lewis
| ton Interurban Railroad.
| The Rumford Falls Power Company.
which has developed the thriving
town Of Rumford Falls and the pros
porous manufacturing enterprises
therein, including the oxfold Paper
| Company.
| The International Paper Company,
with its paper and pulp mills located
| in seven communities of the State.
The Great Northern Paper Company.
with its record of remarkable achieve
ment of building towns ard creating
business.
The Central Maine Power Company.
supplying power and light to sixty
cities ard towns of the Get trail portion
of the State.
The st. Croix Paper Company
has created new community and
added millions to the valuation OF the
| State.
| The Hollingsworth and Whitney
| Company of Madison. Winslow and
Gardiner, whose broad minded policies
are acknowledged everywhere.
The Pejepscot Paper Company
with its allied companies, the Bowdoin
Paper Company and the Lisbon Falls
| Fibre Company. whose activities are
are so important factor TO the towns
of Brunswick, Topsham and Lisbon
Falls.
The Cumberland Comfy Power and
Light Company. which has converted
the Saco River into power house for
supplying the City of Portland with
light. power and transportation.
The Bangor Railway and Electric
| Company that is to Bangor and Penob-
scot County the source of many and
vital activities.
The Pepperell Manufacturing Com
pany of Biddeford. without which
that thriving city would become
| village.
| The 5. ID. Warren Company. which
has made the Presumpscot River the
most highly developed water power
river in the United States.
The Orono Pulp aid Paper Company
of 0rono.
The Edwards Manufacturing Com
papy of Augusta
The Lockwood Manufacturing Com
pany of Waterville.
Is it a scandal that the above men
toned corporations own large per
centage of the water power of Maine
Are not practically all the develop
ments, not only of water powers but
of every kind of enterprise of mag
nitude, made by corporations?
How could il be otherwise? Has
Maine individuals of sufficient wealth
| to conduct these important industries
without corporate charters?
If these corporations are inimieai 70
the interest OF the people, why does
/ the State charter them and allo"
them to prey upon the publicr
What would be the business con
| dition of Maine without them?
II. PENNELL, Publicity Agent
for
D., INTERNATIONAL PAPER CO.,