The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-10-05
Hydro Development
Is Gaining Favor

The hydro bill upon which the
people of South Dakota r to vote on
November 7th, next, and which will
appear on the ballot as Initiated Law
No. 1, is in line with the latest and the
greatest movement: for the benefit OF
mankind in the world today.
This measure proposes the state de-
velopment of water power OF South
Dakota for the manufacture of electric
current and the distribution of the
current at cost to the citizens, the
homes, the farms, the cities and the
Industries OF the state.
The possibilities for good are tre-
mendous. The system has been tried
out in other states and the results are
so successful and so amazing that Il
is being rapidly adopted in every part
OF the world. The movement is
sweeping the earth.
Canada has perhaps gone farthest
and secured the greatest advantages
in this field. In the Province Of On
tario, the system has now been in
operation for eleven years. 1t has
reduced the cost of current from an
average of 8 cents a kilowatt to less
than 3 cents for 247 cities and n rural
communities. 1t Is now the greatest
electric producing and distributing
system In the world, its total general
ing capacity being nearly a million
horse power. And, what is most sur
prising OF all, at the before-unheard-
of low rates the system Is paying for
itself and has not 80 far, and never
will. cost the people a cent in taxes.
SO remarkable has been the success
Of this project that foreign govern
ments have for years been sending
their engineers to Ontario to study
the system and report back. In n
week recently. the government en-
gineers from Norway and from Japan
arrived In Toronto to investigate the
system.
Sweden is now developing hydro.
electric power under the same system
and Is electrifying her railroads and
Industries. Japan has already placed
orders amounting to many millions OF
dollars with the Westinghouse Com
pany for electrical equipment with
which to develop her state owned
hydro power, will shortly replace all
her narrow guage railroads with stan
dard guage and electrify them.
Switzerland IL speeding $25. 000, 900
a year for five years, developing her
water power, and even Russia and
Aust Mia and Czecho-Slavia in spite
OF ri the disasters they have suffered,
are rushing their state owned hydro
electric development.
AL. erica and our American states
seems to be last to awake to the tre-
me rdous possibilities of hydro-electric
power. BLs the awakening has come.
In the state of Georgia, the League
Of Municipalities has been conducting
q campaign for state hydro electric
development for several years. In
California the whole state is aroused
and fighting for a measure almost
identical with the South Dakota law,
and the matter goes to referendum
vote OF the people at the same time
that Il does here, viz, on November z.
Even in New York state, a movement
led by the Mayors and City Officials of
the State, Is on for the same measures.
In California and Georgia the farmers
and farmer organizations are fghting
as strenuously as the cities for the
measure. because they realize they
have as much IL not more to gain than
they.
Hydro electric development is the
peoples power OF the future. II Is
rapidly becoming a world movement.
And California may beat us to 1t un-
less the people OF South Dakota go to
the polls on November z and vote
for II.