The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-01-31
THE PROFIT II PARTNERSHIP
Some Reasons for Urgency in Dis
cHSslng the Power IssHe

tHSSiHE tHP fHNFB tSSHt
Hon. Charles E. Quincy, Chairman,
Public Utilities Commission Of
Maine.
My dear Chairman Quincy:
The first step toward straight
thinking about Maine water powers
is to debate our idea of their value.
Water power is not unlimited gold;
rather. it is a resource calling for
large addition of brains and labor
and capital before it can be made to
pay dividends. The publicity given
to Names water powers has been
too highly colored; the average citi-
zen has received exaggerated ideas of
the amount of power available and
its value. Just as not every piece of
land is worth cultivating not every
COW worth her keep for milking. so
not every water power site is worth
developing. Hydroelectric power is
not always cheaper than steam gener-
aled power In her water powers
Maine possesses a resource of large
and continuing value if wisely hand
led but Maine has no reason to con-
disregard others in the same line of
business. There is a danger of
waiting too long for these failing
waters to become streams of gold
What are the facts on which to act?
In developed water power Maine
stands fourth among the States, with
450,0 900 horsepower as measured by
capacity of water wheels.
In undeveloped primary power, that
is, power available 80 per cent Of the
year, Maine stands twelfth among the
States with less than 100000 horse
power.
Names demand for more energy
is urgent but not for energy in guam
titles that justify the public utilities
in undertaking the immediate devel
opment OF the larger sites, which rep
resent the. more economical projects.
Such developments are expensive un-
less there is a market to take all the
current furnished by each power sta
ton as soon as il is completed. In
terest charges on the cost of the idle
surplus capacity may be sufficient to
wreck project that is otherwise
sound.
How, then, is this highly desirable
Harvesting of Maine rivers to be brot
about? How can full utilization of
these latest sources of energy be
reached most quickly and most sure
ly? Again we may learn from local
history In 1884 Skowhegan began
to light its streets with electricity
from a noisy little dynamo of few
horsepower. and this equipment grad
ually added to year by year typified
the development required TO serve To-
cal interests; now, forty years later.
the great silent generators express
the full and cheaper electric develop
ment warranted by a wider market.
This radical change was rendered
possible only by making that local
power site part of the large Central
Maine system. Similarly, the answer
to the question how to speed up Maine
development is to make our water
power part of an interstate system
call it superpower, or giantpower, or
powerpoolng. or whatever you wish
it is the twentieth century way of
getting results with water power.
Frank G. Baum an engineer who
knows electricity in a big way, has
likened the slperpower plan TO bank
ing electricity instead of boarding it
at home. By this he means putting
power into circulation as the bank
puts your savings into circulation,
using eyeryone's surplus as and when
and where it is most needed. Carry
ing your own roll or hiding il at
home means idle money banking ii
means busy money. The Maine non
law spells idle Maine
water powers and nothing else. That
is why | believe the law hurt Maine
more than ii has our neighbors.
Now, word as to why many friends
Of Maine are worried over this mat
ter as | admit | am. Though this
Is not properly a political issue, there
Is an urgency in its discussion. Al
present there is an untitled demand
Tor power in Massachusetts and south
arn New England, and the big men in
The power world who are considering
ways and means of meeting this mar
ket demand are not looking toward
Maine. AS the president of one OF
he largest financing interests told me