Evening star., 1923-11-04
BY WILL p, KENNEDY.
"AAA An<N NHOIs
NRESIDENT COOLIDGE and at
. least four members of his cab
inet-Secretaries Weeks Of

War, Work OF the Interior
Wallace of Agriculture and Hoover, o,
Commerce-are much concerned over
tho obstructive policies Cor politics)
OF several substantially New York
Connecticut and Maine-which are de.
laying the development of the Wash.
ington-to-Boston superpower zone.
Superpower, they emphasize, is a
positive and permanent solution OF
the annual coal problem which har-
asses the great industrial section in
the northeast: and the Westinghouse
Boston zone Is the next, and most i'm
portant, link in a chain of intercon-
Meeting and intertransmission reser-
voirs for light. heat and power. COW
ering the entire country from the At
lantic to the Pacific and from the Ca
madam line to the Gulf of Mexico.
Aside from furthering the great ma
tional policy of waterpower. develop
ment, President Coolidge is interested
because as native of New England
and former governor of the common
wealth Of Massachusetts, he has an in
innate knowledge of the pressing in
dustrial needs of that territory and
because personal friends have urged
upon him that something must be
done to guard against a yearly coal
famine.
Cabinet Members Interested.
Secretary Weeks, also, has a per-
sonal and close appreciation of the
industrial needs of that section, while
in Congress was a persistent worker
for waterpower legislation and is now
chairman of the Federal Power Com
mission. Secretaries Work and Wal
lace are also members of the commits
sion. Secretary Work has a special
interest because it was under the
auspices Of the Interior Department
that comprehensive survey of the
power needs and power potentialities
of the Washington to Boston, zone
was made a couple of years ago.
Secretary Hoover's energetic es-
pousal of this cause resulted, from his
closeup on the coal problem. and he
had particularly in mind the relief Of
the Industrial northeast from spas
nodic and impending coal famines
when he called public utilities COM
missions into conference with him in
New York a couple of weeks ago.
Here Is the situation as explained by
Q. c. MerriH. executive secretary OF
the Federal Power Commission. We
now have federal legislation to go
ahead with waterpower, hydroelec-
trio. superpower development, but the
federal activities have run afoul of
conflicting policies in some few states
and others where there is no policy
At all.
Maine Bans Export.
A conspicuous example Is found in
New York. About two years ago they
passed law modelled after the fed
era waterpower act. but before opera
tions started under this law a new ad-
ministration Gov. Smith, came in
with proposals for public ownership.
This resulted in a deadlock. The exist
Ing law isn't allowed to operate, and
no wateipower development is being
done in New York.
In Maine there is a law prohibiting
the expectation of electric energy, the
idea being that II they don't let the
energy go out the industries will
come into that state. But the old
established Industries of Massachu-
setts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and
southern New Hampshire would do
nothing Of the sort. 1t would be far
easier for them to go up the st. Law
renee river and get hydropower. As
q matter OF fact there is a proposal
now to do. that very thing by the
utilities. The New England Power
Company has just made, or is about
to make. interconnection with the
Adirondack Power Company in New
York, which will make it possible to
bring down power through that sec
tion Of New York and into the manu-
featuring district Of New England
The result Of such a policy will be,
Mr.. Merrill explains, that the water
power of Maine will be developed
only as. fast as it can be used at
homo instead Of being developed and
used and subject to taxation in the
state. While II they were developed
and converted into the general pool
Of New England power they would in
considerable part go outside the
state at the present time, but would
be available for use at: any time that
industry within the state needed 1t.
This Is made certain by the rule that
energy wifi always be. supplied to the
market close at hand rather than be
transmitted to q distance.
YmDortatien Banned.
The state Of Connecticut has; legis-
iation forbidding the Importation Of
power. in order. presumably. Mr.. Mer-
rill says. to protect the markets Of
companies now generating It
All such conditions In New York. !
IN Maine. in Connecticut and some
conflicting legislation in West vir-
gtnia all stand In the way Of making !,
a comprehensive development of
steam power and water power through
the New England territory and |
through the entire northeast from
Washington and connecting them all !
up for the most efficient results.
All schemes OF this sort are short
sightsd and fail 70 see that they are |
net Of real benefit to those communi- |
tiss sven II only selfish motives were |
considered. II - too much like the
propositien Of short line railroads |
changing cars and shifting. trafio |
every time they come to . state or ,
county line. We have gotten over :
that difficulty and we must get over
this one about .spperpower. develop-
msnf, the federal tomciais say.
Ths more en1clspt use you make OF |
steam plants the less coal you re-
qutre. The more wsterpower you de-
yeIop and dsuse the less coal you re-