Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1921-06-10
People Own Then
Why Stop Progress
With State Ownership


following from w. B. Kendall, mama
ger of Sagadahoc Fertilizer Company
..one of the most influential business
men in Maine:
Humanity of necessity keeps itseli
sweet by keeping in motion ana suIs
ing back and forward like the ocean
Occa sionany a wave dashes up on tne
beach and does some damage. so thiS
agitation of the whole question "
water power in Maine is surglns pach
and forward. 1t is going to break De1
fore a great while and then there wiz
be something else.
The people are altogether too wise
to take on anything like public owner
ship of water powers. There a am .
have been. and there always viii NC,
more opportunities in the world IMAM
there are people to fill them.
few people may believe there -
great opportunity in State OWNERSHIP
financial standpoint However, II
this should come about 1t would pe q
purely mechanical operation ana OF
necessity lack that necessary spirit
which is the soul of individual deHet-
opment and execution so vital 10 hu-
man progress in a republic.
EXPLAINS MISSION OF STATE
The idea now is that this is not the
mission of a State to develop mecnan-
ism alone but the soul of republic
always has been and must be the
quality of individual powers as de-
veloper, under police power OF reguia-
tion of the State.
Without this there can be 10 indi-
vidual reward, ambition is stultified
and the whole social fabric IL weak
ened 1t is not the mission or the
State to do this nor set into operation
any. movement that tends towards
such a result.
MAINE MEN CONTROL UTILITIES
To be concrete. take the example or
the Maine Central Railroad and the
Central Maine Power Company. These
are the two greatest public utilities in
| Maine. They were brought - their
present state of development by Maine
men and they are now owned ana con-
troiled almost entirely by Maine men
and Maine capital. Thousands of own
ers of Maine Central stock are also
holders of Central Maine Power Conn
pany stock, and this largely among the
common people. How then would such
concerns be any better under the ad-
ministration of politicians than they
now are in the control of Maine citi-
ZenS who developed and own them?
Talk about the State owning the
water powers and going into the water
1 power business. why the greatest OPP
portunity for water power lies in the
hands of the private owners. and If
/ these had been encouraged SufflclentIy
Ia years ago enough power would
now be developed in Maine to electrify
the Maine Central railroad and today
we would be in possession of one OF
the finest railroads in the country.
modern. safe, clean. Instead we find
the railroad representatives at the
capital begging financial legislative
assistance.
INTERESTS INTERLOCKING =.
! The interests of these two cited
concerns are interlocking, the mission
Of one is to carry freight and passen-
gers and the other to develop power
for light, heat and motive. If, as I
say, private capital had been cnc)ur-
aged we would not find the railroad
sending millions of Maine money to
Pennsylvania to pay exorbitant rates
for coal. Our own harnessed water
would have supplied the motive power
at a low rate under properly eucour-
aged private capital. The Central
Maine Power Company were able to
operate during the period of the war
at scarcely an increase in their rates
Proper private management, combined
with natures great gift of water
that's the answer
In Maine the, bulk of the peoples
m"nev is tied up in what | shall elias
as three great industries OF these
agriculture is the greatest in point of
money involved; the second is the
power development, of which the Cen
uai Name Power Company is the larg-
est concern; third is the railroads.
which practically means the Maine
central These three are inter-com-
power will kill two of them at a fell
swoop and leave the other forever
crippled
| WOULD CCRTAIL PRODUCTION
me result of State ownership will
be that power development companies
j IN the state will succumb TO the right
OF eminent domain and become part of
me State Private capital will be
airaid TO invest here, the production
of the mills. shops and factories now
mere viii be curtailcd. and at once the
result will be the cutting down of the
revenue of the already badly crippled
railroad.
Thus two sources of the peoples in
mere is the other-agriculture. If the
Waterpower as conducted by the
state is not a success-and nothing
tangible to indicate that it will he a
success has yet been offered--some-
one Will have to pay the bills. There
Is only one interest left, and that, of
course, is the farmer Must the
farmer. already overburdened with
| thing to think about.
FARMER MUST PAY BILLS
Wnen the mills and shops and fac
, torres close down or curtail. the work
CTS .nefe can 60 elsewhere, to other
states. In some cases the mill town
snopkeeper can follow. but the farmer
must stick to his soil and nav for the
experiment. 1t will set Maine Back
q q Iiail century, Ihen how about that
| farmers boy? With his dad paving
ttWfce' thrice and maybe more taxes
! snan ever to the State Treasury. the
! state offers to his boy or girl as a fu
: ture civil service job. one place in
the army of industrial parasites-po-
ntlcal hangers-on. There will be no
chance for that boy to advance his
salary will be set by statute. Con
t tG the situation with that existing
a spea H.t Wntn the pig power concerns
ScnoolS and colleges to finish with
maine boys that they may offer them
tne Whole world for their field and the
iIcnes or Cr9SuS for their success in
improving utility that humanity de-
mandS VI"
Maine can't afford to take a chanceI
on program that is socialistic. and
| II II wasn't heset with such a serious
altermath might be termed childish
nuch is the water power program as
pIoposed The greatest financial in
.ereSts In the State are in the hands
OF the people now. They control them
nee, recause they own the stock in them.
Inc Maine Central and the Central
Maine Power Company are splendid
examples. The people own and oper-
ate these great utilities and reap the
nenentS both in service and dividends
why change to a program that offers
nothing constructive? Are nor the af-
ialrs or these great interests-agricul-
lure; power. transportation--bette off
IN the hands of trained executives
IMAM If administered by the favorites
or constantly changing State gov
eminent?
Every election would mean an up