Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-03-16
CEORCIAPOWER
LOSSES EXPOSED
Speakers Show What
Lack ofDevelopment
Is Costing Public
CONTINUED from Page One.)

OSDCe a StSOA a 0Nbidoy nAllOOt
worker, and anything but social
ist,' he said.
Mr.. Greer said the league leaders
were told at the assembly last year
that the Municipal League bills could
be enacted if it had the money. He
said the league replied that it had
money for legitimate expenses, .buI
would not buy its way through the
legislature.
He explained that the propo e.
bills merely give the people the mght
to develop their own resources or
the Canadian plan; that not penny
in taxes had been paid for the de
velopment there, the income from
the development paying interest or
the bonds issued and providing
enough for replacement in 80 years.
He said the rate in Ontario was a
fourth that in Georgia; that lights
are furnished in Ontario at 2 IL
cents per kiiowat, against Is cents
per kilowat in Americas.
10 Per Cent Developed
he said as result of an act pass
ed in 1897 giving power companies
the right of eminent domain in
Georgia, five concerns own so per.
cent of the power resources, with
only 10 percent developed in 90
years. He said unless the people
develop the power there will be nc
cheap power and Georgia will not be
able to develop industrially. He de.
clared power company capitalizations
are so high that they cannot sell
power cheaply. He declared the
Aflericus plant CAPITALIZED at $780,
coo when, he had been told, it could
be7replaced for $4,000, although he
could not vouch for this latter fig
IRE. He cited DISQUALIFICATION of
plants elsewhere in Georgia and
profits being paid at lower rates in
some Georgia cities where plants
are municipality owned.
Mayor J. Gordon Jones, of Cor
dele, talked on Municipal Owner.
Ship"
1--WE, Of Cordele," said he, are one
big family, one big corporation and
we are tired of paying tribute. We
are going to develop our own re-
sources, by our own utilities. On
April 20 we are going to vote on
this question.
We have seen business men come
to Cordele seeking an industrial To-
cation and bid US adieu because they
could pay the power rate. We arc
going to own our electric plant fist,
Then we are going to build a gas
plant and after that an ice plant.
Il am welded to this municipal
ownership, Power development il
a wonderful thine for'the people and
the people should own it, control it
fix their rates and have the profits
do not think railway commission
should fix our rates. We pay 1G
cents per kilowat. We cannot stand
it and we are going to own our own
plant and control these rates. We
are sending out of 'Cordele $4,000
. per year for street lighting and We
have no whiteway. We have no re.
sources to attract our young people,
We have no resources for street and
other work except as comes from the
pockets of the taxpayers.
and so appeal to the people of
Georgia to wake up and quit being
subjects-or even patrons of thesl
foreign corporations who have taken
our resources from US by right OF
eminent domain.
IF the corporation can pay divi.
dends on watered stock, why should
the people continue to submit to
these high rates? Municipal owner
ship. say, is the solution of these
problems. If the municipalities OF
Georgia will form themselves into as
close an organization as the power
concerns, the power companies will
not be hurt but the people will ben
eft"
Mrs. Covington Speaks.
Mrs. W. A. Covington, of MouI.
trie, spoke on What cheap electric.
ity means to the women of Georgia. >
Her talk was brilliant and effec,
tive, and showed a singularly intui-
tive mind She told her nearer:
that the cry of the power corpora.
tons that they were losing money
and about TO go bankrupt was sure
sign that they were making money
in great quantities, and that the
great cry of the opposition about the
state was the result of their rich
profits being threatened by the peo
pie.
"They yell tax" said she, when.
ever this waterpower Development
subject is mentioned, but | want *
tell you there will be no tax. Rath
er there will be dividends in money
saved, in rates and in service rend
cred. God said, Let there be Light.
Light, you know, means power ant
heat as well. You have it, God-giver
in your streams, and it is yours tt
use, not the foreign corporations il
is yours to operate your factories
your mills and your farms, to milk
your cows, sweep your flors, and Il
thousand other things"
She closed with a touching plea
for the lifting of the burdens of The
poor and the benighted, both in the
country and the cities, which she
said could be effectively done by
the development of cheap power, de.
claring that thus great service
could be done to the state and to
humanity.
Marion jackson, attorney for tbs
Municipal League, mentioned that
the power companies are saying il
is too costly to put electricity in the
farms of Georgia. He recalled thai
before the French revolution the Ia,
on windows-on sunlight-causeC
the people to build their huts with
GIFT windows. and that the world j: