Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-08-15

Mountain States Report
Shows Much Progress
The quarterly bulletin Of the Noun
tain States Power Company just is
sued to many local shareholders in
this territory shows a fine record of
progress made by this company dur
ing the past three months. Many in
terestinR facts concerning the COM
tanned in the report.
Construction Activities.
Announcement recently was made
of authorization for the construction
of a 10000 kilowatt capacity addition
to the Coos Bay steam electric gen.
Grating station at North Bend, Ore.
Construction of this project is ex-
pected to be started by August / and
completed by July Il, 1880. This will
increase the capacity Of the station
from 5000 to $1,000 kilowatts. The
present plant was built in 1924.
The purpose of the new addition is
to provide capacity for new business
which has been the outgrowth of ex-
tensive commercial development by
Mountain States Power Company, and
also to provide standby service over
the new transmission line which is
being built for Dixonville to Marsh
field, Oregon, for the interchange Of
power between the California Oregon
Power Company system and the
Marshfield division of Mountain
States Power Company.
Gas Properties Sold.
Mountain States Power Company
has recently disposed of its gas plants
and distribution systems located at
. Eugene and Marshflied, Oregon, to the
Northwest Cities Gas Company.
Merchandising Activities.
The range campaign conducted by
the merchandise department of the
company from April to May Is re-
suited in total of $50 ranges being
sold. This is a splendid showing con-
siderinR the inclement weather con-
ditions which obtained during this
campaign.
The General Electric refrigerator
campaign which has been carried on
for the past few weeks, has proved
most successful, this modern method
of food preservation meeting with
popular approval among up-to-date
housewives. A total of over 400 G. H
refrigerators have been sold since the
first of the year and Indications point
to be continued heavy sale. If you are
not familiar with the possibilities of
electric refrigeration we would suggest
that you visit one of the Mountain
States electric stores or any electric
dealer and investigate the economy
and efficiency of this new appliance.
Brewer Heads Copeo.
c. M. Brewer, vice president and
general manager of Mountain States
Power. Company, has been elected
vice president and general manager
OF The California Oregon Power Com
pany, generally known throughout the
territory served as "Copeo," to sue
coed P. O. Crawford, who recently re-
signed to accept position as presi-
dent Of the American Utilities Serv-
ice Company. Mr.. Brewer has been
vice president and general manager
of the Mountain States Power Com
pany since January /, 1919, and has
been connected with the Byllesby or
ganization since August Is, 1909. He
served as sales manager Of the Mus
kogee (Oklahoma) Gas and Electric
Company during 1909 and 1910 and
as sales manager of the Mankato,
Minnesota, office of Northern States
Power Company during 1910 and 1911.
In January, 1911, he went to the Pa
cific Coast to become sales manager
of the new business department of
the gas company in Everett, Wash,
and later was manager of the Sand
point division of the company. In June
1912, he became division manager of
the Western States Gas and Electric
Company at Richmond, California, and
served in that capacity until January
/, 1919, when he was elected vice
president and general manager of the
Mountain States Power Company. Mr..
Brewers new duties as vice president
and general manager of both Noun
tain States Power Company and The
California Oregon Pbwer Company
place him in charge of utility prop
critics having total generating capa-
city of 1928 kilowatts, and serv-
ing 1853 communities in the states of
California, Oregon, Washington, Ida
no, Montana, Wyoming and South Da-
kota. His election as vice president
and general manager of The Califor-
MIA Oregon Power Company became
effective June /.
Electric Rates Below Pre-War Level.
Despite the constant advance in ma
terial prices, taxes and wages since
1913, residential rates of public utili-
ties are more than 25 per cent below
the pre-war level.
From analyses of data compiled
from official and semi-official sources
Mr.. Hagenah, vice president, showed
that the average commodity prices
were today fifty per cent above pre-
war prices, that construction costs
were seventy per cent above pre-war
prices, that factory skilled wages
were almost as high as Immediately
: after the war or more than double the
pre-war schedules. Union wages, he
pointed out, have steadily advanced
and are now at the highest level ir
history. Per capita and local taxes
were shown to be as much as three
times the pre-war burden, neverthe-
larg rortJort,aJ oIao+Y,o ro{oc how,