The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-02-07

gether in big towns under the factory
system. With power lines forming
network over the country. the small
shop out in a hill village. where every
man can own his home, can be sup
piled with power as cheaply as the
big factory in a crowded valley, sur
rounded by tenement houses. In our
grandfathers' time there were cooper
shops on many farms, to-day, with
motor@driyen woodworking machin-
cry, neighborhood shops would again
seem an economic possibility.
: And consider the advantage of
abundant power in rural Maine The
coming of the electric hired man" TO
Maine is something to be desired, yet
the application of electricity to the
farm progresses too slowly to war
rant the building of great dams and
generating stations; no power COM
pany could afford to invest millions 10
meet that demand When these pow
err stations are once built, however,
motors on the farm-in the barn and
workshop and home--wiQ surely fol-
low until the whole { luntryside is
equipped with labor s&3iDg machin-
cry. To use electricity on the farm
is the one way to solve the farm labor
problem. Over so per cent OF Maine
homes are lighted by electricity and
to find more customers for electricity
relative to population than we have in
Maine the statisticiaDs have to go out
to such water-power States as Utah.
Washington and California. In many
States in the middle west the farmers
have learned to let electric motors do
much of their work, and the Maine
power companies might find 1t adyan-
tageous to start some education work
along this line among ourNown people.
AS | understand the present situa-
ton, however, the power companies
might well ask from the public more
friendly attitude. Maine prosperity
is hitched up with these public utili-
ties, and while your Commission may
be giving them the constructive SUI
pervision they deserve, any electric
public utility needs ever to expand II
it is to fill its place in the State, and
to expand it needs more or less
continuous supply of fresh capital,
and to get capital from either local
or outside sources the corporation
must be backed up by public opinion.
! sometimes wonder why more of my
fellow citizens do not realize the ben
eft derived from these power COM
panies as big tax payers. Develop
these power sites and 100000 or
more would be added to local tax re-
venues, without line of special legis-
IatiOn Rut idle rivers nav no taxes
In closing this series 81 letters, |
must refer to the fact that while I'M
der the non-transmission theory
Maine power companies must not ex-
port energy to other States, | under
stand that at the eastern border of
the State, we have interconnections
with Canadian power stations, and we
actually import electric energy in
time of need. It's a poor rule that
doesn't work both ways and believe
it would be found equally to the adj
vantage OF Maine power companies to
exchange surplus power with our
neighbors on the west-giving of our
abundance part OF the year and taking
In partial return, generated
electricity in periods like last Sep
TENDER and October, when many
wheels did not turn in Maine mills
and ge-earners who wished to
work could not-because Maine has
not yet developed her water powers in
a big way.
Yours very cordially
(Signed) GEO. OTIS SMITH
January 80, 1924