Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1919-04-03
E DIT RIA
THAT MISSOURI RIVER DAM SCHEME.

THAT MISSOURI RIVER DAM SCHEME,
'.The commission that has been looking into the development of
the Missouri river as a source of electric power figures that for
$%10O0o,000 or so we could supply all the people of the state with cleo
trio energy at the rate of two cents per kilowatt hour, which is al
most too good to be true-hke the money one can figure out to make
by raising chickens. If we develop this plant and get ready to
supply everybody in the state with cheap light and power, We must
plan to run the wires underground, through conduis, to protect the
service from Interruption by storms and to save an immense npkeep
bill If the state could really put across the cheap power plans as
developed by the commission, it will be the greatest thing that ever
happened
The foregoing is from the Sioux Falls ArgusLeader, which
seems t. have but little faith in the recommendations of a commits
sion appointed by the powers which it helped to put IN charge OF the
state government.
1t is likely that there is an element Of logic in what the Argus
Leader says regarding a big upkeep bill, but we believe that the
eleetrieifs which is used in the office of our Sioux Falls contem-
porary is derived from a plant which maintains an overhead system
caAs lss nome
The underlying cause which prompts the commission, or that
would prompt any other commission to recommend the development
of power plants BY the state is that which relates to the prices
charged BY private parties for the service rendered.
Watertown has purchased a water plant for the simple reason
that the people who authorized its purchase through popular vote
were laborng under the impression that they had been overcharged
for water, based upon the cost Of the service The only reason
#NatertoWn authorized its. city council to buy. or to construct a light
and power plant Is that the people think they are oyerchafged for
the electric current,
That is tbs underlying cause in all these movements for nnb,ic
ownership. That is the element which prompts the producers in
many sections of the country to demand state-owred elevators-the
belief that market gamblers and parties in control Of terminal ia
scilfies depress prices IN the fall and early winter and undu1y boost
them later a the season, thus catching the farmers at one end Of the
grain line and the consumers at the other
That whats given rise to the pressure for stateoperated coal
mines q South Dakota and elsewhere; for state-owned cement
pants pants; q state-oWned packing plants, and 50 on and 50 forth.
Nobody-that ~ 70 say, but comparatively few, at all events
cascs fsT state ownership, or federal ownership, as a principle in it,
sell. Public ownership is merely i means To al end-an effort 40
6sreduce service to the basis Of live and let live; an attempt to elm
mate unnecessary waste, and to afford the producers an seven
@break0 on getting all that they are entitled to and consumers al ap-
portunity ct securing the necessities upon 4 basis Of justice and
equity.
H#@sl 4 the meat trust, for instance, or the oil trust, or the steel
TRUST or any of the other industrial enterprises that are supposed
Sc convince The public that they are not over-charging for
to have clothed themselves with monopolistic powers, can convince,
The goods furnished and the service rendered, this so-callea chatter
about public ownership will soon cease.
MSaThats WHAT the matter with the countfy-or, perhaps I'VE
slseulds say e avoid anegsasssssY dispute, what The country thinks j.
the ff0ubIe..@I Sis not that people care I'd snap Of the finger for
EXTRAORDINARILY or state ownership. or municipal ownership, as
Aashsss Thats WV four distinct political parties ii South Dakota
SSasslafsds instheir respective platforms a 1918 TOR state ownership
@aey xalioasg snteapr@ s that why \ new political party was able e
olIstW1santyfY tHonsand votes ~ November that's why the people
7AXaksa III sHAaerize Sfs state Is sneagssn eestann public works.
80 Ns a. asln pla ~ AR1I This assaaons NH continue u como and
~ kslaSN Axss auniil pnbale geYnelsAip Al al established institution along
RslnsIpaa ainssg 81 iHa1Nz9x err NTH fhs market gamblers and the
7aa6AkaaA fs sRaasS HAA8s azeHat HsIhsssH afS the s0apFy
aBas#aSsS RseaaEazt sssshaa nv putting a qE I'M ent h e apreat that 4
81 kssasE sSsh @assasd aatsatiol Hy the lpreess N one WlMh Min result
& z3ASzs 4sEA1ezz6SR aaaine8 the# esxns eosaplaiaea off fo thsS mini
81 sk S@ ks@ssaa5 fhs ayAsieas state legislatures. ma te na