The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-10
is SUPER POWER
TRUSTS LEVYING
TRIBUTE ON U. S.
5000, 900 People in Grip
Of Biggest Combine
By LELAND OLDS.
Federated Press Industrial Editor)


industry by giant combines which
levy tribute on millions Is crowding
hundreds Of small municipal electric
lighting plants out of business, ac-
cording to reports of state public
utility commissions which furnish
the private ownership advocates
with choice morsels for propaganda.
Sixteen of these privately owned
power systems today reach out their
tentacles to include communities
with population Of more than 49,
100000. In other words, more than
one-third of the entire country
comes within their sphere of indus
tries. They are extending and COM
bining to such an extent that within
a very few years this most vital
source Of power will be entirely en-
crossed oy New York financial
interests.
Control Workshops Of Word.
During March, President H. H.
Porter, Of the American Water
Works and Electric Company, an
nounced a new $315,000,000 super
power combine embracing the
workshop Of the world This new
ly integrated system covers the area
between Cleveland and Erie on the
north, the coal fields along The Ken
lucky West Virginia state line south
Of Charleston and a point about 25
miles west Of Baltimore, as well as
the entire Pittsburgh district. Ac-
cording to Porter the combine will
mean cheaDer power and fewer
labor troubles.
TIL following table shows the 16
big private lower combines and the
population Of the communities serv-
ed by each:
l. Detroit Edison Co.. 1,500 900.
2. General Gas & Electric Co.,
100000.
8. insult Group, 7,975.9OO.
4. Public Service of New Jersey,
1901, 1892.
8. Standard Gas and Electric
Corp. 2,S75. 900.
8. Pacific Gas and Electric Co.,
1,715,959.
Z. Northern States Power, 1,21S,-
500.
8. Consolidated Gas of New York.
1000 900.
9. Brooklyn Edison, 2,OO0.0o
10. American Gas and Electric,
100000.
II. Stone and Webster Com
panies, 100000.
IL. North American Co., $780,,
wv
10. Cities Service Co. $500 900.
Ia. Southern California Epson,
1900, 900.
Is. Niagara. Lockport ard On
tario, 100000.
16. American Water Works and
Electric, 100000.
Such power units serve communi-
ties averaging 2,700, 900 population.
They extend their tentacles into
every state of the union. Nothing
remains for the isolated municipal
plant which cnce saved consumers
from the individual private plant
but surrender to the greater econ
omy of combination.
Municipal Plants Go Under.
The metropolitan press halls with
glee each surrender which it falsely
treats as a victory for the principle
of private ownership. Dealing with
the abandonment Of more 3han 20
municipal enterprises in Michigan
during 1928 the Wall Street Journal
fairly shouts Municipal Power Fails
in Michigan-Referendums Show
Private Company's Popularity"
Similar reports from Nebraska read
THAT municipal ownership once
strong in Nebraska is rapidly losing
ground is evidenced by the number
of municipalities which have aban-
doned their electric light plants and
contracted with the Nebraska Gas
and Electric Company, a subsidiary
of the Continental Gas and Electric
Corporation"
The report of the New York state
committee on public utility informa-
ton stating that more than $50 mu-
nicipal utilities have been abandoned
or sold during the last few years
gets the headline Municipal Plants
Disappearing Fast-Lower Produc-
ton Cost Of Privately Owned Power
Stations Causes Abandonments."
But this New York report goes on
to show that it is the economy of the
larger generating units and not pri-
vate ownership which really counts.
The economy of such large sys-
TENS to the consumer would be even
greater if the enormous private
profits Of the present private own
ership could be eliminated.
(The extent of these profits and
the way in which they have been
in Canada will be told in
two subsequent articles.)