New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-07-16

| Congressman From This District
J Makes Strong Speech in the House.

COnSfGSSlllah Augustine LOnergan,
! during the discussion of the water
| power bill in the house of represent
tatives Saturday evening, spoke in
favor Of the bill, outlining the effect
lis passage would have IN the de-
velopment of power by the construc-
ton OF a dam at the Enfield Rapids,
and pointing out the benefits manu-
! featuring and agricultural interests
in the state would derive thereby. Mr.
Lonergan also presided as temporary
speaker of the house during part of
the subsequent discussion.
His remarks follow:
Mr.. Chairman, the bill under con-
sideration, when properly amended
and passed, will be at once a. most
important piece OF war legislature
and q powerful addition to that leg
slation which tends to fortify our
nation for the reconstruction period
to follow after the war The first
district Of Connecticut, which T have
the honor to represent, is vitality in
terested in it. For we have on the
Connecticut river, about II miles
above Hartford. at what Is known as
the Enfield Rapids, 10000 horse
power running to waste every day,
although it is situated in the heart of
a manufacturing district where more
| than 100000 horsepower are being
manufactured daily out of coal at a
| high cost to manufacturers, to say
nothing of the difficulties of securing
an adequate coal supply at present.
If this bill had been passed before
| the war broke out we would have
been spared the sacrifice of last win
| ter, when coal was sent to the homes
of our ziticens and to our ships at
| 70 c+,,
| establishments when there should
have been enough to go around. Oil
| would have been saved. The power
| that might have been available by
| such a bill as the one under consider
| alton could have been used for fac
tories, while the fuel administration
could have diverted its supplies to
homes and to ships.
| Power can be supplied to Connec-
ticut concerns within reasonable
radius of the Enfield Rapids at about
half the cost of producing steam
power. Connecticut has already grant
ed authority for the development of
this power, the State of Connecticut
owning the bed of the river. The
state more than 10 years ago, through
its general assembly, went on record
as faVoring a special act permitting
the damming Of tho river at Wind
sor Locks. The $5.OO0.0OO necessary
for financing this project, I am in
| formed, is ready and waiting. [ am
told that about 70 Connecticut and
| Massachusetts men have been organ
| zed into company anxious to see
this development made and prepared
to invest their money in it. The men
include manufacturers who want the
! power in their large industries; trans
portation men. who wish to see the
! naVigahle possibilities of the river
| developed; and men otherwise inter-
ested in the growth of the state.
There Is no navigation on the Con-
necticut river above Hartford on &C
count Of the Enfield Rapids. The
government has declined to improve
the river owing to the expense of
placing a dam across it in order to
permit boats to surmount the rapids
| It has, however, recommended that
, certain improvements be authorized
provided private capital build a dam
at Windsor Locks.
The passage of this act will prac-
tically clear the way for wonderful
development.
Added to the long story of the
water-power controversy is the fea-
ture now palpable to all that the
! Su6ttI16Ht VI IlIS lltGdSuie Will he
UNNECESSARILY in winning the war.
Then, too, there are the other rea-
sons not so important, but in them
selves compelling. The purpose is to
| serve the public interest; to safegua rd
, | the people against any overcharge
for power; to prevent illegal COM
6 binations in restraint Of trade and at
the same time to permit and encour-
r. ! age the investment of capital in the
| development of Water-poWer pro-
jects in order that the vast
amount of hydroelectric power now be-
+ ing wasted in this country can be
Immediately utilized. From every
! part of the country there is an in
| sistent demand for electric power.
| This call comes from the city and
from the country, from factory and
!, | from farm, from the manufacturing
centers of the East, from the arid
lands of the West. and from the new
industrial cities of the South. More
o and cheaper electric power is de-
| manded for lighting our houses and
!, I streets, for cooking our food. for use
in our factories. for moving our rail-
, roads now operated by steam, and for
street railways, and for interurban
! lines; for pumping water for irrl-
cation and to drain the overabund-
y antly watered lands of the South.
Cheap electric power is demanded
h that this country may be on an in
dustrial footing equal to that of the
= nations of Europe, where, 1t must be
admitted, the development of the
s new electric chemical industries is
far in advance of this country The
4 present laws have caused what is
practically a deadlock between cap
| jtal and the government in the de-