Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-01-28
Po1Uer Development is Greatest
Factor for an Industrial Montana

(By FRANK NJ. KERR. Vice presi-
dent and General Manager, the Mon
tana Power Company.
w YITHIN the borders Of Mon
NJ tana are 1872 per cent of the
" water power resources Of the
United States. Within this same
state live but one-half of one per
cent of the country's population.
From these facts, a person Of the
slightest imagination can visualize
the possibility Of Montana's future
industrial expansion. With $780,
900 hydroelectric horsepower in the
state, of which less than 400,0 0
horsepower has been developed, there
is still available for future develop
ment and use more than 1000, GOO
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT to make the
Treasure state an industrial empire
whose potential activities stagger i'm
agination.
AS a matter of facv, even today's develop
ment of Montana's water power resources
is far in excess Of the apparent require
ments OF this sparsely settled common
wealth. Between 1912 and 1925 the popula-
ton Of Montana increased 80 per cent. Dur
ing this same period hydroelectrie devel-
Iii luCItdStQ rllOiu VCsUOV W OUO,uDU
horsepower, or more than $50 per cent.
Such increase, however, could scarcely
have been expected had it not been for
the activities of the states foremost in
dustry-the mining and reduction OF me-
talliferous ores.
In Relation to Mining
At Butte, the worlds largest mining
camp; at Anaconda and at Great Falls,
where copper, zinc and associated metals
are put into condition for commercial uses,
and continuing power require
ments made possible the creation and OPP
ments made possible the creation and OPP
whose substitution Of cheap and abundant
electrical energy for steam has not only
saved millions of dollars to the industry,
but has made possible the mining and
treatment Of vast quantities OF low grade
ore, which under old and costly power me-
thods, would have had to remain untouch-
ed By the hand of man, of no benefit to
any one.
And. 1t Is solely because these great
mines, mills and smelters offered an en-
during market that the Montana Power
company was justified In investing mil
lions of dollars in power sites, dams, re-
servoirs, generating plants and thousands
Of miles 0 distributing systems. And be-
causs other industries-coal mines, flour
and cement mills, electrified railroads, etc.
quickly followed suit In contracting for
Montana Power service, offered at what
the CitctTlCut WoTlu has SidtCu " bt Tie
lowest rates In the country
Serves "a Cities
Today the Montana Power company is
serving 81 cities and towns In Montana,
where live 5000 lighting consumers-5,000
of whom has achieved the boon of cooking
on electric ranges-and 1000 power con-
sumers. The average household consump-
ton amounts to 80 kilowatt hours per
month, costing $2.28 at the present rates.
No better illustration of the cheapnese Of
Montana Power service can be afforded
than the comparison between the local and
company's production and revenue and
those of the New York Edison company.
Last year the New York city concern sold
approximately 1,400, 000, 600 kilewatt hours,
for which 1t received, roughly, $4,000, 900.
The same year the Montana Power COM
pany sold about 1000, 600 900 kilowatt hours
for which 1t received about $8,500,000. In
other words, the New York consumers paid
their company an average OF 5 cents per