Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-11-14
POOLING OF POWER

: Of inferiority complex respecting
New England. For one thing, great
aggregations Of capital evidently see
great opportunities for development
and profit in this section Of the
country. and usually they are pretty
good judges Of such possibilities.
They would have us pool our effort
~ well as our power.
n The arguments made are appeal
ing. Maine after q period Of en-
deavoring to use her hydro-electric
energy at home and not having
found sufficient number Of
customers Is asked to repeal her law
against sending electrical energy
out Of the State. The description of
what may be done by means Of
power development would place a
burden Of responsibility on those who
neglect opportunities for such de-
yelopment.
Owen D. Young, chairman Of the
directors Of the General Electric
Company. told the conference:
.My thesis is that If our wage
levels are to be advanced or
even maintained in this country! we
must put more and more power back
Of the individual worker. and we
must see to 1t that the supply is
ample and that the cost is low. We
must more and more make our cap
ita1 provide us tnanimate slaves.
These slaves must run our machine
they must obey our orders-they
must be available when and where
and in such numbers as we may need
them. The electrical art has made
this possible. We may now put not
only power in the hands of the in
dividual worker. but we may put It
there in the exact quantities and at
the precise times when he may need
Il. That was not true before. In
the old days, we moved our indt-
viduals largely to the power rather
than AZ now the power to the indi-
vfdual. New England is filed with
cities and villages whose location
: was fixed by the existence Of water
power there. The cities of the Mer-
rinac are striking examples Of such
locations. 1t was necessary to do 1t
50. The power Of the falling water
developed through water wheels
could be transmitted only short dis
,tances through belts and shafting,
and in order to make that power use
full in production, industries had to
be located at the power sites. Then
, again, the application Of the power
through mechanical transmission
was very inelastic, and as a conse-
squence Of It, such powers had to be
largely supplemented in the smaller
units Of application by energy gener-
ated from human muscles. Now a
new day has come. The energy in
water Telling anywhere in New Eng
land may be put at work anywhere
in New England. With improved
facilities of generation and trans
mission, 1t IL possible to lay down
power generated at the most efficient
place for use in Industries at the
most economic point. 1t is no longer
necessary to move workers to- the
power. We take the power to the
workers. And what is more, when
the power reaches the point Of ap-
plication, 1t may be applied in any
size units which may be desired and
may be made subject to the will Of
the worker who directs it,
One might infer from this that
Where industries were located In the
days when they went in search Of the
power are the best economic local.
tons for such industries now that
the power may be brought to them.
To = certain degree this is suscept-
ible Of proof but enterprise and IN
itiativs many times have modified
methods; is there not yet vitality In
the saying that: IF q. man write a
better book, preach a better sermon,
or make . better mouse-trap than
his neighbor, though he. builds his
house in the woods. tho world will
make q beaten path to his door? II
we are to send our power out Of the
State It should be done. under CON.
ditions that should permit en-
oouragement for industry to locate
near the source Of the power.
Mr.. Young likened the use of
power to the use Of money, which we
mobilize by means Of our banks and
invest wherever it may be used to
tue best advantage. He did say
power Is cheapest at the point Of
generation, but not how much
cheaper. and IL It going to be cheap,
er. when tbs pool is formed? viii
there not be tremendous inducement
TOT. the pooled interests to sell the
power to the highest bidder? What
may regulate that price? Mr.. Young
said Of this power: 1T grows in.
.creasingly expensive with the dis
lance Of its transmission. There
fore the local community has thu
preference" But Just what this
preference may amount to, Just what
may be done to compel the dis
ltributor to give that preference and
mot seek all that the traffic will
loear, are matters to be considered
and about which further information
Us desirable before we commit our.
selves to such a policy. True we mo-
.oiiize our money but we are anxio,Is
mot TO have such mobilization con.
::troiied by powerful interests. In.
deed the notion that local interests
are sometimes denied announcement
mas caused unrest.
Maine is especially dependent IN
cneap transportation Its trans.