Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-12-10

7 ern states, notably Wisconsin,
schedule of prices has been mace up
| which would make It utterly impossi-
BILE for any farmer that ] know OF IN
| Maine to have electricity. Here IN
| this state a good deal has been done
II rather pride myself that the ter
| ritory occupied by the Central Maine
Power Company has more completely
| supplied its farm roads with electric.
! inv than any other territory east OF
the Mississippi river. But here the
situation is not satisfactory from
| vour point of view. There are miles
| and miles of country roads where
| there are no lights and no electrlc
power. There are hundred and nun
dreds of homes that need electricity. I
| think we have applications at our OF
| fee in Augusta now from over 3oeo
| people who want electricity and TO
| whom under existing conditions we
| cannot see our way clear to supply IL.
Now the cost Of supply electricity 70
a customer, whether he Is in the
country or In the city Is very largely
| made up of interest, taxes and depre-
citation. 1t isn't the cost of the cleo
| tricity itself at the power house that
| makes the trouble, but the interest.
| taxes and depreciation on the lines
which take that electricity from the
| power house out into the country to
| the farm house. In the case Of the
| farmer these fixed charges are much
higher than for the town dweller. be-
cause 1t takes so much more line to
reach a given number of customers.
They don't make the town or the state
| cent Of expense; they do not require
any sidewalks or schools or sewers or
anything of the sort; they may dis
| figure the landscape little, put we
are glad to have them. Ininkins
| along this line / have this oenhite
suggestion to make ana ! am going 70
Keep on making u until ! eet inc all
swer from somepody. IL IS tnls'
"Rural Electric Project" Act Sug'
oested
"That a special act OF the Maine
Legislature be passed as quickly as
possible creating what / would cali
for lack Of better name the
Rural Electric Project. l would
have this act provide that any cleo
trio light company doing business IN
Maine might file with the Public
Utilities Commission description OF
rural electric lines which IL owned
or which 1t proposed to build ana
which, II approved by the commas
sion, would thenceforth be known as
Rural Project No. l or NO. or
p, whatever the number might be. II
! this Rural Electric Project Is ap-
proved by the Commission, then the
| poles and wires and all other
| property used In connectlon Win IL
by the Company Will not be SUBJECT 10
| taxation. This would remove ABOUT
1-5 OF the cost OF serving tne coun-
try line ana wouio not COS. anyone
cent because tnese nnes ca an NC
puiit oy Ine oihpany un ,o
eht conui.,ons ',ssn o. ~. de-
tnis spec.al ae. pouu &c so.,,r;t,, hv
suance Oh some ionn, .., "a $500 to ~
.ne coInpahaeS ~ pior a ,,,o,,Id nro-
puiloins 'Mese INC. . III ,n,.,o,
vlue .iae ne. .S 49,. athars MT
rate vi .n.e.ess LA ' .vo,,iS ,,,aLe
Uut ny .ne copa ,.,,.,;n- No.
mem very ions .sr' ,,aana haton.
maps aol , 49,. - =
nia.uIi.s anu ga 20 a. cn,,,d
ta'e No =. az ~ ,,,,,o, .ha hat :
De eus uown .To 81 nh.ai,.S hy
.s - &c. tha ,,,,rrasS ~
tne summary III 49, ro,,nd
.neir business NV e Vs. - tha iotar-
- ~ 80 s - 80, 81 Aol ,aarIv
es. r t.e ~ $780,. cnst Gould
pn .a.,a, VA ,.s. ~ ;nvastor would
We e. sa'eu a, an e.. IT. n,nnsv as he Soes
get as mucn i9r ms s money as nH uoes
would have the LAgislature give
thase r,,rai nroiects fine right of
e,ninent domain in the same way
that the taIenhone comnanies have II.
IN ordar 70 assist In cuttine down the
cost of consnmntion
a.. 1u..I p,a;.... wo,id h. lin.
.e C., ,x.,n.
lar az 'ue a ans
rover COMPANY soncesneu an az,
ready 70 say mere Quay 'haS SUI
IeeIsla.ioi, eA's.eu st p.
wouiu enueasoi ~ paiu
oreo mIies oL .hese 'ulai pto'eS.s
during tne mex. year OF .wo aiu
wouio nope py tnat very mlse soai.
Oh puiIoihs 70 optain q I've Sus.
Oh .nese nnes anu .nlousn 'ns ~,
meolu'h Oh ireeoon rom .aAa.Ioh "a,
uieni, ot ioMeI iaIe Va ih.slses a ..a
OF possioie lower cost Wy uoihs IA.
tnins on WhoIesaie pasis " 81.
down the cost OF service 10 'ne
| farmer perhaps one miro What ~ -
now ana TINS misht MAKE IL possiplt
| 70 serve great numper Oh farm
| MONIES at sometnihs very crosse 10 the
rate now enjoyed oy people IN the
CITY, - a.
Lex ma'ns .eAo Inc way
mo state In the country has as
yet succeeded in working out a plan
by which a large part of Its coun-
try roads can be furnished with
electricity. II we in Maine can be
the first to do this and can really
| say to the rest OF the country that
electricity for light and power Is
available on hundreds Of miles oil
farm roads, 1t will be a long steI
| towards making life on our farms
pleasant and desirable and Maine
will have once more damon st raj ed n or