The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-03-27
POWER MERGER LINKS II
PLANTS In FIVE STATES
Maryland Towns and Industries
In 315,OO0.OOO Cooperative
Union

natlon, advocated by Secretary Hoov-
er, was taken Thursday in New York
by eleven companies serving Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Vir-
ginia and Maryland in the formation
OF cooperative coal field super
power group.
Representing an invested capital of
$515,OOO,0OO, and producing 100000
horsepower for industrial and domes-
tic use in the heart of the coal and
steel industry, the mutual combina-
ton, while retaining the indepen-
dence of its members, plans "to fur
nish more power, ultimately reduce
the price at which power can be sold
and therefore increase the demand,
which will have tendency further to
decrease the cost"
In announcing formation of the
coal field supply-power group, officials
of the American Water Works and
Electric Company, a member of the
system, predicted they would be
linked within a year with the group
systems of Niagara Falls and New
England, the Southern Super-power
System and the already linked sta
tons of the Chicago district.
All that remained to bring out such
a voluntary amalgamation of trans
mission resources, it was declared.
was the construction of approximate
ly 60 miles of high-power line be-
tween Erie, Pa, and Niagara on the
north, and a similar mileage between
Charlestown, w. Va, and Winston
Salem on the south. Means of trans
porting power between the new group
and the Chicago district were de-
clared already available and awaiting
only the signature of cooperative
agreements.
The territory linked by today's
compact has population of 100000
individual consumers; thousands Of
coal mines, which purchase operating
power, and a vast number of indus
tries, including the Pittsburgh steel
district. A single member of the new
group serves $50 mines.
Cities which will be hooked up with
the system, not including the scores
Of towns and villages served by the
network of electric lines are: Cleve-
land, Akron, Canton and Warren,
Ohio; Erie, Pittsburgh, Johnstown
Altoona, Connellsville, Butler, Wash
ington, Greensburg, McKeesport and
Williamsburg, Pa; Charleston, Wheel
ing, Fai1mont, Clarksburg and Par
kersburg, W. Va; Cumberland,
Hagerstown and Frederick, Md, and
Winchester, Va.
Six of the groups biggest power
plants comply with the requirements
Of the Hoover plan in that they are
situated over the coal beds, where
they are assured from so to Is years
supply of fuel and where the need
for importing fuel is eliminated,
Virtually all the stations are steam
plants. Members of the group de-
clared, however, that they had 1,000,-
600 more of hydro-electric horse
power under development or in pros
pect on the Cheat, Youghiogheny and
Clarion rivers.
"Not the least of the advantage re-
sulting from the coal field super
power group is the solution of most
serious problem in national Defense"
declared E. S. Thompson, of the
American Water Works and Electric
Company.
During the World War, when the
Pittsburgh-Cleveland district was
called upon for large amounts of
military supplies, trouble immediate
~ arose because of the lack of power.
There was imminent danger lest the
overloaded systems of the district
should break down. The street car
schedule of Pittsburgh had to be re-
duced far below the city's needs to
permit power to be used in the manu-
facture of war supplies.
"The companies serving this dis
trict now have more than ample
power and more could be quickly add
ed in case of national emergency.
Not only could existing industries
operate at full capacity on war sup
plies but many more could be estab-
Hshed, thus making it possible to re-
move this vital work from the mill
tary weak Atlantic Coast and locat-
ing it behind the barrier of the Allie
gheny Mountains"
Concerns which, according to the
American Water Works and Electric
Company has joined the cooperative
system, include:
The Duquesne Light Company Penn
Public Service Corporation, Potomac
Edison Company, American Gas and