The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1924-08-15
{NEWS FROM WASHINGTON;
BY ]. E. Jones

the water power privileges OF the ma
ton should be utilized for the publ
benefit. when ne was at the head O
the forestry bureau during the Roose
welt administration. AS Governor o
Pennsylvania he is working out
superpower plan OF his own. But il
his individualistic manner he prefer
to call his scheme giant power TIT
Pinchot plan is very easily compre
hended 1t has been pointed out b,
Governor Pinchot that the great Goa
mines OF his state can produce cur
rent from coal at from FIVE to 81,
mills per kilowatt-hour. This is con
siderably more than it costs to pro
duce the same power at Niagara Falls
but the same principle of distributing
cheap power by wire applies equally
to water power and steam. The giant
power plan which it is hoped to de-
velop in Pennsylvania would mean
the building of great trunk lies start
ing at the mouth of the mines and cx-
tending to all parts of the state
These lines would be the wholesalers
of power. Low grade coal which is
not often shipped would be burned to
make steam. and be utilized in this
process. 1t is figured that these
trunk lines would attrack investments
from the big financial interests that
are going into the power game. In
this way they would deal in giant
power. They would be able to furn-
ish to local utilities the power they
need at a price much less than the
latter could produce it for themselves
1t is proposed that giant power.
created by water and steam. will be-
come so cheap that it will be utilized
Tor the most ordinary mechanical pur-
poses in homes. factories, and par
on farms. Governor Pin
hot believes that the farm and rural
can be supplied all the
advantages that power and elcctrici-
y have heretofore reserved for the |
zig cities. If this is true, then giant
lower would act as an agent towards |
he decentralization of population, and
ivert the people of the country from
he large cities to Gods open spaces
where they could live, breathe, and be
Apply.
Public VS. Private Ownership
1t is next to impossible to discuss
over or transportation matters with
ut humping into the subject of priv
te and public ownership. Govern
lent ownership of the railroads and
tate and municipal ownership of the
'sser utilities always seems to be a
object that bobs up when people are
linking that it is forgotten and is
eadest. Bernard J. Mullaney OF
hicago, says that this subject is
Ill listed among controversial or de-
atable subjects only because man in
he mass has more credulity then rea-
oning power" and results seem to
istain his own resoning power in
lie further statement that private
is better than municipal or
ny other form of government owner
ZIP because it works better" Mr.. II
iullaney in an address upon this
inject states that he believes that
overnment ownership is the masked
ivance agent of communism. and
reasons that if heat, light, power,
and transportation +.
e to be obtained by the public :
trough government ownership that i.
Iere is no reason why the facilities
IT providing the necessities of human ;
Ie, including clothing. and shelter,
iould be less equally desirable.
In every big movement that con-
onts the country the question of +
,vernment ownership seems to de-
and to be settled anew. We have the
'oblcm OF Muscle Shoals, and we
c never without the agitation with
gard to public ownership of rail-
lad and all the public utilities. In
Getting the question the policy OF
'vernment seems however, to have
'adually settled down to the point
here the public interests are being
trusted to public control over priv
ely owned properties. Thus there
I'VE been established agencies with
eat power like the interstate COM
cree commission. and commissions
r control Of the public utilities in
the states. Even the different
les have sought their own protcc-
IN against the Pickwickian policies
their politicians. by getting under
c sheltering wings of non-partisan