Evening star., 1930-06-27

properties" That paper continues, "He
mas correctly sensed the public feeling
toward the subject Of power costs to
the consumer, and he has spoken with
insight and understanding and wisdom
TO the manufacturers of power In what
they should take as Q statesmanlike
warning against the possibility Of gov
ernment ownership OF power properties
In competition with private intereste." :"
Publicity results of the protest, bring
ing the matter to public attention with
unusual force, Notwithstanding the
original purpose TO raise the issue par
Sonally with the Ambassador. are
pointed out by the Cleveland Plain
Dealer and the st. Louis POST Dispatnh.
while the Detroit News condemns the
'endeavor to sidetrack criticism Of an
industry" though 1t thinks that mfr.
insult was not interfering In the public
duty Of an Ambassador, since Mr..
Sackett had not been instructed by his
Government to make the speech" The
Madison Wisconsin State Journal at
tests "the influence the Sackett speech
Will have upon the public" and the Lit
tle Rock Arkansas Democrat holding
that Mr.. Sackett was merely issuing a
friendly warning to the electric power
INDUSTRY" suggests that this incident
became first-page news"
Approval Of Mr.. sackett's course IN
repelling criticism is given by the Chat
tanooga News and the Rochester
Times-Union. Admission that the sub
Ject is controversial, combined with de-
tense OF the right of the Ambassador,
Is made by the Charleston Daily Mail.
the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the
Lynchburg Advance. The Akron Bea-
con Journal condemns "a pretty sorry
performance. The Columbus Ohio
State Journal AYERS that Ambassador
Sackett touched on a live subject" and
that "a reduced rate is believed TO be
possible" The Green Bay Press-Ga-
zette calls the address "a challenge to
our public utility kings" a position
with which the Morgantown Dominion
News is in agreement.
Reviewing the entire subject, the
New York Times disagrees with AM
bassador Sackett, asserting that "his
15-to-1 indictment has produced and
distributed 100 times as much public
attention as would have been aroused
by a quietly phrased general suggestion
tnat the costs OF electricity to the con-
sumer may be too high. Like once
famous assertion about the ease with
which efncient management on the
railroads could save a million dollars a
day. Mr.. Sackett's calculated indis
cretion will stir debate on a subject
that needs it," adds the Times, which
also says as to vigorous responses that
have come as result of his discussion:
He wanted to know why the consumer
OF electric power Is sometimes charged
as much as is times the cost of pro-
auction. He is now being informed
that there are many instances In the
world OF goods and services where the
cost Of distribution is unavoidably,
many times the cost Of production;
where, indeed, distribution Is so domi-
nant Q factor as really to constituA
production. Mr.. Sackett Is asked tA
consider the virtual absence of cost of
production In the case Of water back
In the hills and lakes, and its sensible
cost when distributed from the city
faucet. He Is invited to ponder the
cost Of distributing a banana TO an
american urban consumer, which dis
trtbution cost Is probably 1900 tirnes
the production cost involved in pluc,~-
ing the banana from It's native tree
The clear implication Of such q patent
statement OF elementary economic prin-
ciples Ii that our Ambassador in Berl.,.
needs to have his education enlarged.
He Is put into the same class with the
indignant citizen who rises to ask why
. ton OF coal In his cellar costs three
times as much as at the pit mouth"