Evening star., 1924-01-17
STRESSESbENEF|TS.
. Of SUPERPOWER
Rev. John A. Ryan Declares
Electric Service Cost Would
Be Reduced Half.

With full development Of a super
power system, electric service would
be reduced In cost by at least one-hah.
electricity would become cheaper than
gas, oil or wood, and would make
possible hundreds of new industries,
greatly Increasing the productive
power of those now in operation, Rev.
John a. Ryan of Catholic Untyer-
sity said at the second days session
today at the Hotel Hamilton OF a
public conference on superpower and
Its possibilities.
Carrying power of the railroads
would be doubled, with q correspond
ing reduction in the cost Of transpor-
tation, DR.. Ryan said, and 1t would
immensely reduce the burdens of farm
work.
Experience shows that super
power system should be operated by
the government, he added, taking the
stand that the conclusion that the
Super-power system or systems should
be owned and operated publicly rather
than privately is strengthened by ex-
perience with two comparable in
Observation-Disclosures and anthracite
coal mines.
The history. particularly in later
years, of these industries, Dr. Ryan
declared. shows that the safeguards
supposed to be available in public
regulation are not real, but arc only
hypothetical.
Opposes Private Ownership.
DR.. Ryan declared it was pity"
that the state of Pennsylvania ever
permitted the anthracite coal lands
and mines to become private prop
erty, adding that the situation in the
field of electric power Is exactly par
allel TO that OF the anthracite in
dustry.
"Some OF the sources OF electric
mower are much richer than others,
and therefore should yield the private
companies much larger prohts tnan
sold 1T rate high enough TO repay,
operation OF the poorer sources and
the poorer plants ana "a instramen.an, ai,a ear,a,n
that even though all the plants and
sources were owned by a single com
pany, the costs would not be aver
aged and pooled: The consumers
would not get the benefit OF any
pooling process,
The corporation would find ways
of extracting rent from the more
productive parts Of its system while
obtaining at least reasonable re.
turn from the parts that were least
productive.
"Thc remedy. the only adequate
remedy, Is government ownership and
operation Of the whole system"
Consider Proposed Bill.
The early part of the morning ses-
sion of the conference was taken uL
by discussion, in executive session, OF
proposed bill for a superpower sys-
tenn in the United States.
The following were on the com
mittee considering the bill: Rev
John A. Ryan. chairman; Senator
George w. Norris, 7. p. Noonan
Charles Edward Russell, Benjamin c
Marsh Of the National Farmers
Council, Jennie Buell. of the Michigan
State Grange and Charles X. Mohler
construction engineer of Chicago.
For United states Ownership.
Speakers at last nights session OF
the conference declared government
ownership and operation OF the nat
ural resources of the United States
was the natural and logical step
Railroads were criticized by James
r. Noonan, president OF the Interna-
tional Electrical Workers, who said
several railroad heads tried to make
government management of the roads
during the war appear unsuccessful.
Other speakers Included Charles
Edward Russell. an expert on water
power prohlcms; Ben c. Marsh of the
National Grange. and Norman Thomas
OF the League for Industrial Dsmoc.
racy.