The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1923-05-17
Comment on Dead River Storage
Proposition

A very witty comment on the pres
ent Dead River Storage Reservoir
proposition, contributed by G. Il.
Chadbourne oe Augusta, a native OF
Harmony, now Secretary to Governor
Perciyal p. Baxter is published here
with. This is published in conform
ity with our policy of allowing the use
of our columns to any reasonable
extent for the discussion OF matters
in which the people OF Somerset
County have a special or peculiar IN
terest. 1t so happens that this parti-
cular subject is of statewide inter-
est, but 1t vitality concerns Somerset
because the proposed construction
work, amounting to millions of dol
lars, will occur within our County
limits.
A further consideration important
to the people of this part OF the
Kennebec Valley exists in the TACT
that the water so stored would IN
crease the value of all of the powers
developed and undeyeloped for the
entire river length. We who live
in Somerset County therefore should
take every means to get posted wioh
regard to the project.
Previous experience has shown us
that contributions like. that from Mr.
Chadbourne are sure to be replied to.
Acting upon this belief we deemed 1t
advisable to discriminate somewhat
as to the source of reply and at the
same time to make certain that the
reioinder came promptly so that both
could be considered together. We
announce therefore that discussion
OF the storage basin project, written
by Senator Clyde H. Smith, will
appear soon. probably within two
weeks. Mr.. Smith is especially fitted
to prepare this article, having intro
duced the measure in the Legislature
and as Senator from this County, hav-
ing special reason to be conyersant
with the project from all angles.
THE WAY 1T LOOKS TO
SOME OF US
Once on a time there was a man
named Noah He was good and
wise man, 1t Is said, but he was so
hopelessly old-fashioned. He never
even had heard of FLYERS. fappers,
hydro-electrit energy or lobbyists.
He lust COULDN'T stop flood.
Old Noah had an understanding
with the birds Of the air and the
beasts of the field, that was uncanny
viewed from the modern angle OF
law Officially but aside from his i'm
mediate family, "the people wouldn't
fall for his stuff"
Old Noah couldn't sell stock In his
back-to-the- hills promotion scheme.
The folk in those days feared watered
stock. They wouldn't even look at
II at lot and fraction, altho' he told
them that 1t wasn't the money ne
wanted, but the friendship.
II our distinguished ancestor only
had known some of the things we
know, how simple 1t would have been
for him to have employed "legisla-
tive agent" (vulgarly termed a
..lobbyist") with the money and labor
required to build the ark and to have
secured authorization from the peo-
ple themselves to build storage res
eryoir. He thus could have saved the
world, received good rate of interest
on the investment, and come down In
history bigger man than Henry
Ford or King Tut.
or course, 1t should not be suggest
ed that the people would have invest
ed the money themselves All. no.
that would have been unscientific and
socialistic; they would have bought
Noah's stock and HE would have
INVESTED it (properly watered, OF
course) and have "taken all the
chances" Of such investment which
the people "could not afford" to do
In those days, the common people
we're not so carefully informed by the
press. Noah had no widely circulat-
cd newspaper. He could not tell
them the difference between investing
the peoples money in bridges, ferries
piers, and other public conveniences
in which the public never could be
accused of entering the business for
financial return, and the utter folly
of putting the public' funds into such
as dams and reservoirs, upon which