The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-02-11
ELECTRIC HEATING NOT A SUCCESS
GOVERNMENT HEATING PROJECT FAILURE
Town of Blackfoot Had Narrow Escape From
Heavy Loss Private Enterprise Lost
Heavily Trying to Work Plan
DISINTERESTED PARTIES COMPL Ain

So much is being said about elec
tricity and the uses it can be put tt
In this valley, the possibilities have
been so magnified and overstated
l have made it my business to learr
as much as I could, and present II
to, my readers for their guidance.
Both Glad and Sorry
In the autum of 1915 I devoted
some time to the study of these mat
ters and published a rather lengthy
article touching upon the future OF
electricity in Bingham county, and
in three or four years that have
passed since that was published, the
truth of the article has become more
and more apparent. Three years ago
people told me my article on elec-
tricity and the uses it would be put
to in this valley, was both an inspira-
tion and disappointment to them.
What shall say now, will be a worse
disappointment because it will con-
tradict the statements made by so
many people who have>been talking
and writing, as l believe, without first
learning the facts.
Writer Willing to Wait
Electricity is such deep subject
and so little understood, that he who
takes advanced ground and disputes
the statements made by pipe-dream-
ers and impractical folks. who talk
much and accomplished little, is quite
certain to be denounced, and abused
with that handy argument so often
by the impractical fellows
who sum it all up by saying that the
other man is hired to say what he is
saying. Knowing of these things as
do, 1 know that it requires months
or years to prove that my assertions
are correct, and by that time many
people will have forgotten what was
said and who said It,. This being
true, it is more profitable for pub
Usher to tell. people what will please
them most, rather than to publish
the sterner truths that they will all
have to learn at greater cost to them
selves il they act on the statements
Of the pipe-dreamers.
tad News About Lamps
In 1915 I told my readers that the
Using price Of copper (18 cents then)
would prevent extending many light
md power lines into the country,
where there were less than fifteen
to the square mile to take
he service. That was bad news to
hem, but still worse news was the
statement that If the circuit of trans
mission lines was connected up be-
ween Aberdeen and Blackfoot the
,eople living along the route could |
,et no service by tapping the line,
wen tho they lived right by it, with
'ut the expense of putting in trans
ormers. and 1t requires the patron
,ge OF quite settlement or village |
o justify the expense of trans
ormer. Then all the lines would |
ave to be carried out from the
SO the families living
light by the trunk line might re-
uire several miles Of wire to bring
he Juice" to them. With copper
p around 80 cents most of the time
ince that, and coal oil and gasoline
1ounting high, the power companies
ave come in for an ever increasing
mount Of abuse for not extending
heir service and reducing the prices.
wish 1t could be done!
Wasting Money Experimenting
I have said thru my paper that
lectric heating is not yet CONNER
lal success and not likely to be,
nd yet in recent city elections, q
of voters in certain wards
ave elected councilmen on a plat
orm of Build a power plant to fur
ish light and heat" A leader Of
1at element boasted that 80 long as
hey were prevented from building
le electric plant to light and heat
ne town, they would defeat every
Tort to secure a municipal water
liant, and they have.
Would Bankrupt the City
A leader OF this element stated
scently In all seriousness that II we
ad gone on and installed our muni-
pal electric plant, we should have
cen albe to do without coal and
more the coal famine. These