The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1924-01-17
DR. GEO. OTIS SMITH OF U.S.. GEOL0G|-
CAL SURVEY ON WATER POWER QUESTION
Sends an Open Letter to the Chairman of the
Public Utilities Commission of Maine.

your commission snow Lndl Teguld-
ton by means of storage reservoirs
would add only $4,000 horsepower to
the sites already developed, yet on
the three western rivers-the Saco,
Androscoggin and Kennebec,-there
are unused sites that would yield
$4,000 horsepower without storage
while we are waiting for State
storage-reservoir plan. Full regula-
tion of Maine rivers by storage seems
to me a necessary but later step, for
we must remember that Nature has
already blessed our State with fairly
good system of river regulation by
chains of innumerable ponds and
lakes, and that we have not yet taken
full advantage of the water-power
privileges thus created by natural law
Surely it is we'll for man to profit
by the laws that Nature long ago put
on her statute books before he enacts
new legislation of his own, which at
its best is never an improvement on
the old-fashioned kind that Mother
Nature made. In a word, let us first
use what we already have.
Unfortunately, Maine is not leading
ter of making wisest use of the nat
ural sources of energy. United and
concerted action by the States that
constitute the northeastern section of
the country, which has been aptly
termed the finishing shop of the ma
tion," is under way, and the fact
that our State is recognized as an
outsider in relation to this action i'm
pels me to urge upon my fellow
citizens some consideration of the SUI
perpower program. | regret that
many in Maine seem both to misun-
derstand this power policy to which
much thought has been given by
leaders among engineers and business
men, and to misinterpret the motives
of those who are urging that policy.
The superpower plan simply con-
templates the largest possible utiliza-
tion of the water powers of several
States by Harvesting up these natural
sources Of energy with large steam
power stations. Let me first of all
assure you that the engineers who
worked ont the details OF this plan for
the Government at no time had "cov-
etous eyes on the water power of
Maine" as has been asserted. AS
the Federal official in direct charge
of the superpower engineering study
/ | know whereof l speak, so that my
denial of intent may be taken as
authoritative. The superpower re-
port published in 1921 as Profession
al Paper 1913 of the United States Geo
logical Survey, makes brief mention
of the undeveloped water-power re-
sources in Maine but adds:
| AS hydroelec.::ic energy generated
in Maine can not, under the present
laws of that State be transmitted
outside its boundaries, these potential
developments have not been analyzed
in detail.
/ 1t is also significant that the only
mention of our Maine water powers
at any meeting of the engineering
staff or the advisory board of the su-
perpower investigation was made by
Mr.. E. G. Buckland, vice president of
the New York, New Haven & Hart
ford Railroad when he urged, in be-
half of his friend Morris Macdonald,
that any general plan of railroad
electriication should extend as far as
Maine, because the territory served
/ by the Maine Central Railroad, with
its high coal costs, needed, perhaps
more than any other part of the su-
/ perpower zone, to participate in this
economic linking together of steam
plants and water powers.
Mr.. Buckland's suggestion in con-
nection with our superpower project
was therefore to the effect that Maine
should share in its benefits, and in
another letter l wish to present to
you and to our fellow citizens some
facts bearing on this basal question
whether Maine can best develop its
resources alone or I'm partnership
with its neighbors. I recall your
own statement in October at New
York, where you attended Secretary
Hoover's conference as Governor Bax-
ter's representative. You remark
ed that the Maine policy "has not in
jured any other State" I agree, but
wish to add my conviction that 1t
has hurt Maine.
Yours very cordially,
(Signed) GEO. o. SMITH