Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-02-06
WATER POWER
CONVENTIONTO
Be HELD HERE
Meeting March 10 To
Bring 200 To 500
People

A water power convention for the
Third Congressional district will be |
held in Americus on Wednesday, |
March 16.
This was decided on at confer
ence held Friday afternoon at the
Windsor Hotel with Mayor Sheppard |
and a few leading citizens invited by
JOSEPH Perkins to meet John w.
Greer, executive secretary of the
Municipal League of Georgia, who
came down from Atlanta on that
mission.
This convention, like others that
are being called over the state, ac-
cording to Mr.. Greer, is to give the
people of the state clear under
standing on the importance Of getting
the water-pOwers of Georgia devel-
/ oped and to organize the districts for
active work on that great problem.
1t is estimated that there will be
from 200 to 500 people here for that
occasion, composed largely of mayors
and councilmen, county commission
ers, senators and representatives
| bankers, manufacturers, newspaper
men, club women and club men of the
! district.
Two novel features of this conven-
! ton VIII be the fact that it will be
the first time women have participat-
| ed in a great political and economic
/ discussion on an equal basis with men
and the fact that it is to be an open
forum convention in which there are
to be no set speeches, but a general
discussion by all present as to the
best method of getting power for
Georgia to do business on.
Development Necessary
In discussing the convention, Mr..
Greer said it is absolutely necessary
for Georgia to get her water-powers
developed, if Georgia is to 60 forward
in her industrial life.
Georgia has no coal, oil or gas:
her wood is fast disappearing and wa
ter-power is the only source of ener-
gy Georgia has," said he. 'It will
require a number of years to get
these powers developed and already
Georgia is facing a power famine.
manufacturers are applying for
power in this state to run factories
and because they cannot get it they
are going to other states where their
fuel will be at their doors, instead
of having to haul it several hundred
miles, Georgia is losing tremendous
ly by not having any power to offer.
Furthermore, the homes of Geor-
gia are having to limp along with
out the conveniences, having to de-
PEND on servants that never have
been satisfactory, and becoming more
and more obsolete, while other states
that have cheap power are using mod
ern machinery for doing house work.
Georgia has plenty of power in
her streams, but only little over ten
per cent. is developed, and very little
is doing in the way of increasing
It, Twenty-three years ago the state
legislature turned the development
Of our water powers over to the pri-
Vate companies OF the East, and they
proceeded to buy and condemn it and
today they own large part of it, but
50 far as giving the people cheap
electricity, which they promised, they
have failed.
For Fighting For Development.
The Municipal League of Geor-
gia is fighting for the state, the
towns and counties to take over this
development, following out the On
talio system, where it has been done
so well and cheaply, and the idea is
to get it for al! purposes to all the
people in all sections of the state.
People who attend this convention
will not commit themselves to the
policy of the League, but the best
way that can be offered.
"fhe city governments, chambers
of commerce, the bankers, manufac-
tnrers an dali the clubs will be urged
to assist in bringing large gather
ing here for this convention on
March Is"