Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-03-14

standpoint. sand from .everv an.,S
were completely discussed. ana H."
was not one single voice raised y.
that hearing In opposition to a sin-Ie
section"or clause of the bill. except
objections which the COMMITTEES mado
itseif. which resulted in certain
changes IN the bill. There was NOT
Single opponent nor a suggestion
oi opposition. ana l submit that II
theIe were valid objections to this
matter. that that was an appropriata
time and an appropriate nlaca. ~.
Tor moment, of course, contendin.r
that this time is not equally nnan
TO any person who has objection hnt
manifestly at time when the MO
ponents OF this measure were present
and when there would be an onnorS
tunity for full discussion, for ex-
plantations. and for decision unon Tho
matter. 1t would have seemed thot
II there were any of those alarmino
objections that somebody has voiced
they should have been raised.
Let us see. II I have got the eer.
tlemans main ,objection-and .n,
not going to take very much time
here-if I have got. first. his main
objection, it was that the matter
was not under the control of the
Public Utilities Commission. Sec
ondly. that it was upon public lands
which were part of the heritage of
the people of the State of Maine that
rs where the dam was. And. thirdly,
mat IL was going to result in bene-
III. NOW let us take that in reverse
order. or course 1t will result in
benefit. or at least I suppose TINT II
will. Otherwise there would not have
been made this vast investment
there. or this effort to get the per-
mission of this Legislature to make
the investment there. But benefit.
gentlemen. to whom? That is the
query. Benefit to some mystical cor
poratton, to some Intangible octonus?
Not at all. We have been hearing
for the past dozen years the develop-
ment of the natural resources Of
Maine. We have had that debated in
the Legislature and debated in the
various civic quorums of the, State.
and we have had everyone who had
any idea on the proposition get it into
the papers il they could. Why, we
nave even had the Superior Court of
the state lnterroSated as to what the
powers OF the State were and l think
it is very definite and certain pro-
position that throughout the length
and breadth Of this State there should
be developments of the latent power
OF this State in the matter Of the
storage OF water From. time i'm
memorial this water has been rolling
through to the sea. and in the food
season 1T has been throwing away
mililons and millions and millions
ana millions of dollars worth of DOW
err that could have been utilized. II
threw 1T away last spring and it will
throw 1t away again within a month.
and 1T will roll on to the sea, and it
VIII do no one any tangible good.
There should be development. there
should be construction.
What is this bill foro It proposes
that up there at Long Falls there be
erected a dam. that there shall be
stored twelve billion cubic feet of
water. the flood water which goes to
waste in the Spring. and that flood
water there. properly stored under
approved engineering -methods. will
permit OF 770 cubic feet per second
OF water. every five months in the
year. to be let out into this Kennebec
valley. to keep the flow somewhere
near up to the mark during the dry
season. BENEFIT? The Lockwood Mill.
which has payroll of $40. 900 a week
has been shut down almost a week
at time and has lost time during
the past four months that has cost
the operatives. the laborers. the peo-
pie there who earn their living by
the sweat of their brows. it has cost
them $4,000 in money during the
past four months due to low water.
Here in Augusta We have been
troubled with high water in the
spring of the year frequently in the
past, but down here. from the last
dam down. we have had trouble from
high water in the Spring of the year.
and the Edwards Companys en-
ployees have been out a week at a
time. 1t was told before the commit
tee, and 1t is an engineering fact
that it is always the last wave. the
last lap. that puts them out Of COM
mission each time of high water.
The conversation and storage of
those food waters there and this
proposed construction will alleviate
to some extent, it will relieve to some
extent, that high water. Now it
seems to me that it is perfectly
self evident that the equalizing of
this flow. the using of that water
40 cubic feet per second every five
months in the year-Which VIII give
an additional increment to the water
power on this river of fourteen to
sixteen thousand horse power, that
that is a thing which should be done,
not for any corporation, not Tor any
private interest, but for the great
benefit of the people. And how is the
public benefited? The. public is bene-
fitted by the employees of those mills
getting regular work. 1t is benefit
ted by those mills being able to in
dustrially compete with interests out
side the State The public is bene-
fitted from the fact that the only
utility here which is at all affected,
the Central Maine Power Company,
as a public utility. and any benefits
it has must be realized. under the
control of the Public Utilities COM
mission. in diminished rates, in in
crea sed efficiency. and in general
benefit to the public Now let us say
that there cannot be much dispute
that there should be storage. The
executive branch believes it. In the
Senate 1t is believed. 1t is almost uni
versally believed. The query is. shall
it be done by private investment. or
by the State? The message Of the
Chief Executive. at the opening OF
this session, called attention to the
imperative need of storage and con-
servation and suggested that the
present condition of the finances Of
the State would not permit Of the
State launching at this time into
venture of this sort Of storage.
1t was suggested that there be
constitutional amendment submitted
to find out whether the people at
some remote time. would avail them
selves of some proposition that some
legislature might advance for devel-
opment along this line. In the mean
time there has come this proposition
based on precedent, and you might