Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-05-23
Maine WATER POWERS
1923-1924
(continu.d from PAGE Five)

(continu.d from Page Five)
zens although some Of Names
leading business men, while not
hesitating to advocate a State Pier
at Portland. State Ferry at Bath. and
other public ventures that cause heavy
drafts upon the State Treasury. are
fearful lest the State should build a
storage dam that actually would prove
profitable investment!
Freshetg
1t is amusing to read how the spokcs-
men Of special privilege blame the
present Governor for the recent fresh
cts. No doubt these gentlemen will
amplify this argument hoping thereby
to becloud the issue and thus obtain
for nothing the water privileges that
still belong to our people. 1t is rare
that a spring freshet has received SO
much newspaper comment.
AS already stated. the people OF
Maine should not forget that for the
past seven years ! consistently have
advocated the construction Of storage
reservoirs by the State ito control the
| flood waters Of the spring and make
constant the flow Of our rivers"
have used this phrase hundreds Of
| times in addresses throughout the
State, for it is one of the fundamentals
Of my water power policy. The attor-
neys Of the corporate interests, while
estimating a 100000 loss by the re-
| cent floods, now hold the Governor re-
sponsible because dams have not been
constructed If this 100000. or one
half of it, had been invested in stor-
age dams as l have urged. the spring
floods Of 1923 would have caused much
less damage Dams however are not
| n w Whom
they give way, as did the one at Els
worth, they cause tremendous damage.
| The people of Maine suffered from the
recent floods because the corporations
have prevented the States building
proper storage dams. These corpora
tions are not interested in protecting
the property of our citizens; their only
interest in storage is a business one.
! Propaganda Must be Checked
| I was content to have the water
| question discussed by the people of
the State for the next few months
without my taking an active part in it,
but the well-planned propaganda that
| already has been started by the corpO-
rate interests has aroused me to ac-
ton. l should be derelict in my duty
if remained quiet and did not inform
the people abo'.t what has occurred and
about the present campaign of the cor
| porationS. In this message. as well as
| in the preceding one. l have spoken
frankly. for the people of Maine are en-
titled to detailed information.
| The Remedy
| The present situation should not be
| misunderstood. Those corporate in
terests that heretofore have obtained
| liberal grants of the States water
! resources without paying for them.
! hnr oh y
| compensation for the use of these
rights, and leases from the State. not
deeds. should be given them. ENpen-
| sive and arrogant corporate Hobbies
| should be abolished. and no further
| attempts should be made by them to
| control Legislation. Newspapers no
| longer should be owned or subsidized
| by tn" water power interests. nor
should they continue their present
! practice of paying regular retaining
| fees to lawyers in the principal
| towns and cities of the State. In
! selling shares of stock of utility and
| power companies TO the public, good
faith requires that they be sold at
prices consistent with their actual
! value in the open security market,
| which has not always been done in
| Maine. Our own citizens should be
| given adequate protection in the in
vestment of their savings, and utility
| companies should not attempt to
build up political organization
! through the sale of their shares to
| thousands of small investors. The
| financial statements of such COM
| panles should be carefully Scrutin-
| lied. All old-time and out of date
| practices should be discarded for
Names public utility and other cor
| porations cannot afford to continue
| them both on account of their cost in
dollars and cents and on account of
| a growing public disapproval of such
methods.
The corporations doing business in
Maine are essential to our progress.
All good citizens are interested to
have them prosper. The power
companies of Maine are performing
valuable services in the territories
! they serve. and l hope their future is
bright and that those interested in
| them reap a we'll deserved reward.
A change however in the policies of
some of those companies, especially
in their attitude toward public af-
fairs. soon would place them in an
cnviable position. They have moth
ing to fear from the citizens or
politicians" of Maine. as long as
they contine their activities to the
production and distribution of hydro
electric energy. keep out of politics,
and render good service to our citi-
ZenS.
There are many public service and
industrial corporations now doing
business within the State that keep
entirely aloof from politics. employ
no regular lobby and attend strictly
to their own affairs. These COM
panies are not included in the criti-
cisms l have made in this message.
for when measures are presented af-
fecting them, their representatives
appear at legislative hearings at Au-
gusta, present their cases and return
home. properly assuming that fair
treatment will be accorded them |
by the representatives of the people, |
The investments in Maine corpor-
atoms are safeguarded sby a con-
sentative. well-intentioned public |
sentiment: there is no fear Of con- |
fiscation or even of hostile legisla- |
ton. Our people have confidence in |
most of our business enterprises and J
desire to accord them every priv |
ilege consistent with the public in
terest. The animoSities and diff |
cultics that have arisen as rule |
can be traced to those few corpor-
ations that take an active part in |
politics and are continually seeking |
to obtain special privileges. If the |
corporations in Maine that desire to |
develop State-owned resources will |
adopt the methods of the Quebec cor
hl Dn