Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-02-21
NOOPPOSITION
Continued from Pace One)

| Continued from Page One)
"This bill is not only satisfactory
to the log driving companies but l
believe it will also do something in
which we lumbermcn are sclfishly in
tercsted. the storage provided will
stop the freshets on the kennebec
river" declared Smith Randall of
the Augusta Lumber Company. 1.-THE
last two feet of water is the danger
and with this Improvement on the
! Dead river we won't get it in the way
we have BEEN" said he
No opposition developed to the big
water storage project, although the
proponents We're closely questioned
at times by members of the two COM
mittees. Senator Buzzell Of the judi
ciary committee presided.
| The case for the proponents was
! outlined by William Il. SHELTON Of
Lewiston. former public utility COM
missioner. lie explained at the out
set the details Of the bill and that the
incorpora tors Of the kennebec REESE
voir Company, Philip II. Dodge, II.
Deforcst Lockwood. Rudolph Pagen-
stecher. Waldo E. Pratt. Garrett
| Schenck. w. E. Winchester, and
Walter s. Wyman, represented the
principal industries using water pow
er on the kennebec river belo-y the
Forks, with a total development of
from 100 to EOS feet.
Mr.. Shelton presented a new draft
Of the bill, which differed from the
original draft. only in presenting
more fully the details Of agreement
arrived at between the log driving
companies and the incorporates. He
pointed out that the corporation
| icb 70
reservoir and log driving company
and nothing else.
This development proposes to re-
tain flood waters which would other
wise go to waste and retain 1t for
use at the time when the water in
| the kennebec river Is low" said MIR.
SHELTON. THE area of the reservoir
is about twenty-one square miles and
1t has drainage area of about 500
square miles. This reservoir will
fill at least nine years out Of every
ten and its capacity will be al out
twelve billion cubic feet.
1T will give for five Of the twelve
| months of the year a flow OF 40
cubic feet every second, which means
about n horse power for every foot
of fall" he continued. From 1850
70 $4,000 horse power will be saved
by thus utilizing the winter flood
| waters"
Mr. SHELTON estimated the cost of
the project at $l000.000. lie SAID
that the promoters were willing and
anxious for every small power own
CT on the river to participate for they
| Will eventually get the benefit of the
development. The project will add
! forty per cent to the entire developed
storage of the kenncbcc river above
Bingham, it will give to the pubic
for use on the Kennchec river half
as much as the Ripogenus dam now
| furnishes or four times as much Wa
ter IS the present developed storage
| of the Saco," said he.
mo rights are asked of the State
except the right to purchase :onds
| at such price as MAY be fiXc0 and
provision is made for the State talk
ing over tho development within q
| period of Years in srch way as will
enable the incorporators to get out
from under at Il reasonable return
TO capital" he concluded.
Would YOU be willing to pat in
provision providing for actual
operation within year from the
| time of granting the charter" asked
| Representative Weeks of the Judi
! Ciary committee.
Il am sure that we would he will
ing for provision for two Years
from the signing of the bill" re-
| piled Mr.. SHELTON. and added: I'VE
would not have objected TO an c:u,r-
gcncy provision SO that we could
| take advantage of this Years flow
age" he added.
Representative Crafts of Green
VILE asked ii fishWayS had been mo-
vided for and Mr.. Skclton replied
that any regulations of the fish and
game department would be complied
| With.
Would it not lie profitable to de-
vclop electricity" irGu.red Repre-
| sentative Gardiner of Gardiner
I'VE disavow such purposes" Mr..
Shelton quickly replied.
| There might be some lower
wasted commented Mr.. Card, er.
! Carroll y. Perkins of Wat .r,'Ilit,
/ representing the Lockwood Company
+ said that his company and the LOO
! pie of Watcrville felt that tie bill
would be Il great thing" He said
that lack of power had caused a loss
of $4,000 to the employees OF THIS
company in wages alone.
Amos X. Butler. representing the
Hollngsworth and whitney Com
| pany of Winslow and Madison. said
that his company had been obliged
to use $4,000 worth of coal because
| of lack of water power and that .Hvcn
! in two and onc-half months they
| had been obliged to curtail their
pay roll between $4,000 and $1,000
He also added that the Kcnnehtc Log
| Driving Company. which he repre-
scented. had at itT annual meeting
| authorized its directors 20 acccnt 10
| the bill.
| Walter s. Wyman of the Genital
| Maine Power Company emphasized
| the need of increased water storage
and water power for Maine and said
| that in the winter of 1921 and 1872
| his company had spent s16oGOG to
! supplement its water power. AT
i least two large cotton mills in Maine
are feeling the problem of taking
out their machinery and moving to
southern states where the cost Of
| power is less and where there are
greater storage facilities" said he.
Fred Gilbert. representing the
Great Northern Paper Company
spoke of the advantages to the Log
Driving Companies. II nave the rear
drive and | am often obliged to drive
without water" said he.
Senator Hincklcy asked If the re-
building of highways had been taken
up with the town officials.
Mr.. Wyman explained that the peo-
pie of Flagstaff had already placed