Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1925-03-05
UTILITY TALK
BYW. s. Vivian
GIVEN kIWANIS

A rapid fire speaker is w, S.
Vivian, Chicago. director of public
relation work of the Middle West
Utilities. For about thirty min
utes on Wednesday at the regular
Kiwanis luncheon at the Warren,
he heaped fact upon fact to show
the wonderful development Of pub
lie utilities during the past dozen
years or more and of the difference
in attitude between the public and
the corporation. He said in part:
1.-THE gas industry was started
one hundred and twelve years ago.
When it was handed to the world,
it was ridiculed so Walter Scott
wrote, There was a crazy man
up in London who proposes to
light the city by means of smoke.
That was the beginning. Today,
gas has five thousand distinctive
separate uses in our industrial life
and represents an investment of
four billions of dollars.
"The telephone was invented by
Alexander Graham Bell, March 10,
1876 1t was ridiculed and thought
to be an electric plaything but to-
day we have sixteen million tele-
phones; two thirds of all the tele-
phones in the world. They are
connected together by thirtyfour
million miles of wire, and last year
twenty-five billion conversations
were carried over the wires. To
day, telephones represent an in
vestment of two and one quarter
billion of dollars.
Transformed Industry
"The electric and power indus
try was started by Thomas A.
Edison, September 4, 1882, when
Pearl Street Station, New York
City, was cut into service. Just a
little later Appleton, Wisconsin,
was cut into service. 1t was the
first power plant in the middle
western states and the second in
the world. We are serving sixty
million of people in this country.
There was said to be sixty five
thousand uses for electrical ener-
gy. 1t has transformed the home
life and industry to such an ex-
tent that there is scarcely COM
modify that we handle in our daily
life but what comes in contact with
electricity at one or more places
in it's production, manufacture and
distribution. The electric light
and power industry represents an
investment of $6,600,O00.00.
"The first electric street car was
operated in Richmond, Virginia,
81 years ago. In 1887, the first in
terurban car was started at Alex
andria, Ind Today, we have As,
900 miles of track, 100000 cars,
and last year we carried sixteen
billion passengers in these cars.
The electric railway represents an
investment of six billion Of dollars.
All Are Interested
Gin these four utilities, there is
a total investment of nearly nine
teen million individual security
holders. In addition, there are
twenty-nine thousand banks re-
presenting twenty-seven million
depositors who have invested bill.
lion of dollars with us. In addi-
ton, there ere insurance c)mpan-
les who have invested millions o.
dollars with us.
"This means that every man,
woman, boy or girl has an individ-
ual and financial interest in it's
public utilities. 1t is a business
erected with a public interest, "a
business that effects the welfare
of all. The slogan of the utilities
is service and service in the deliv-
cry of the commodity.
Joseph Smith one time said
that the 10Th Century would see
the world turned into manhood
and the 10th Century would see it
through a brotherhood. Through
the agency of the utilities, this
has largely been accomplished.
Our modern cities are built a
round its utilities. Today there is
an interdependence between the
public and its utilities that knows
no city, state orsnational lines"
Harding Memorial
The club voted $35 for the Hard
ing Memorial to be erected near
Vancouver, B. G.
The orchestra gave some lively
tunes and T. F. 4Risley led the
singing.
H. l.. Halsted presided, and w.
L. Cash, manager OF the local tele-
phone company introduced the
speaker. Mr.. Ha1sted presented
some Baron Munehausen stories
60 40 hopnft ~ +bo utility naonla