Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-23
TELLS WHY MAINE
SHOULD DEVELOP
ITS WATER POWERS

Especial to the Kennebec Journal
Bangor. Nov. 22-Declaring that
Maine is no more than holding its
own and that the lack of initiative
on the part of the people in develop
ing Is resources are to be deplored,
Clarence c. Stetson, executive secre-
tary Of the Colorado River Commits
sion, gave an interesting address on
Maine water power before the local
Chamber of Commerce, here today.
He said in part:
A most striking instance OF the
sectionalism and individualism in our
state is the retention on our statute
books of the law forbidding the
transmission or conveyance beyond
the confines of the state of electric
current generated by water power
within the state.
The main argument of those con-
tending for the retention of this law
is that Maine will in the near future,
by reason of its great and immediate
industrial developments, due in part
to our favorable labor conditions, res
quife all the power for her own uses
and that. by keeping this power from
going without the state, Industries
will be forced to come here.
Names immediate. future lies not
in industrial development. 1t liesA
first: in the development anu con-
servatiOn of her natural resources;
second; in the protection and en-
largement of her fisheries; third: in
the expansion of her summer trade,
and fourth: land probably most i'm
pertant Of all,-and as against the
timber supply shall be gomez. in the
encouragement of agriculturists, the
restoration OF abandoned farms,
which are real farm.
That Maine will become, in the
reasonably near future, a really great
industrial and manufacturing state is
a fiction. Industries will only come
to Maine If they can see special adj
vantages which will permit them to
economically survive.
We do not possess any relatively
large and rich supply of raw mater
ials,-other than timber. According
ly any industry coming to the State
for the manufacture of raw mater
ials, other than those produced with
in the State, must import such ma
terial. The cost of Importation of
the raw products plus the cost of
expectation of the finished product
to the markets or distributing CEN
ters makes it unlikely that such in
dustries could economically compete
with those. of other localities more
favorably situated.
The present law as it now stands
Is economically unsound. \ We have
fndnU IN State a hnrlt five hundred
thousand installed horse power. We
have about seven hundred thousand
horse power awaiting development.
This figure is based on power 60 per
cent of the time and without conSid-
ering the factor of additional storage,
which when created would consid-
erably increase this figure. During
the ten year period ending 1922,
which 1t must be remembered irfclud-
ed the unusual stimulus of the war
and the postwar prosperity. the in
crease in developed power was. &C
cording to the Second Report of the
Maine Water Power Commission
somewhat over 90 per cent. Let US
assume that the increase for the next
ten year period will be another %
per cent or for simplicity say 25 per
cent Of the present installed power.
This would mean an increase of
about 125. 900 horse power needed by
Maine up to 1882. This leaves us
with a generous surplus OF about
$4,000 horse power which could be
exported without jeopardizing the In
terests of the State for some time to
come. Where is the market for this
power? The neighboring New Eng
land States are in need of power.
Here is a market for our surplus pro-
duct already created. Is 1t sound
business to let this market pass with
out taking advantage hereof, espec-
tally when by not taking advantage
of it now. we may find that this mar
ket will be covered. and this to our
possible ultimate exclusion, by the
large quantities of cheap power
WHICH New York and Canada can
supply. Why should we not under
proper protective arrangements and
with the laws of economics operating
in our favor. develop our resources
with resultant flow of income from
without the State. and increase tax
able property within the State?
He pointed out the danger in the
doctrine of isolation and sentimental
lism as regards Withholding export
ofs power. He questioned the con-
tstitutionality of Maine law in this re-
spect. Figures were quoted showing
the benefit that would accure in the
development of water powers.