The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1930-07-25

ne urged that industrial leaders
a;ded by science should strive with
renewed effort to conquer the ra-
tio of fifteen to one" He prest
his point in these words:
''YOu have, by constant improve
ment. driven down the cost of cleo
tricity until it can fairly be said
that an economic station produces
at from three-tO fourteenth of a
cent kilOwatt.
'1n most of the great centers of
populatiOn in America at least,
the consumers pay for household
service around six cents per kilO-
watt. fifteen to twenty times its
cost.
at is little satisfaction to the /
great mass of household consum- 1
ers to point to the high construc- /
ton costs required TO serve the
small user or to urge the large re-
duction in price that is made for
quantity service through a single
Insulation.
"The fact remains that there is
an extraordinary margin between
cost and sales price, to the reduc-
ton Of which science may apply
itself with greatest benefit to the
/ people as a whole"
Since Mr.. insult is the head of
the power group which is said to
control nearly rs per cent. of gas
and electric service In the United
States, and Mr.. Sackett was form
erly President of the Louisville
Gas Company and the Louisville
Lighting company, sold to the
Byllesby power group, the clash
precipitates a front-page and
newspaper editorial sensation.
. What might have been passed by
. with comparatively slight notice
! leads to editorial advice that Mr..
/ insult might advisably take a
course in diplomacy" and that
! Ambassador Sackett 'take a deep
plunge into the abyss of the alb
I. surd." 'The Folly of Utility
5 Magnate Who Tried to Gag an
4 Ambassador" and "An Ambassa-
: doris Power Bomb" become cur
rent editorial headlines.
II Mr.. insult gets the brunt OF
press drubbing. "Insull revive:
. wonder as to where some Of Dul
famous captains OF industry gel
their repute for masterfull intelli.
gence," remarks the Philadelphia
Record. Mr.. Sackett's object. say:
the Springfield Republican, eva!
,, to warn the power interests
= against the public-ownership move
!, ment and to show how to meet i
! by reducing the cost Of current {,
= the small consumer. But Mr.. In
sull seems to have thought tina
! was treason.
= Of course, observes the New
= York Telegram, citizens are no
7 authorized to give orders to Am
= erican Ambassadors. That is re
n served by the Constitution to tn
= President and his Secretary o
: State. But a little thing like tina
L doesn't stop Sam insult" Accord
!, ing to the Brooklyn Eagle, go,
. his ill-considered act in calling at
!, tention to Mr.. Sackett's speech
n Sam insult has unintentionall,
"a performed a public service" It i
- just zone more fatUOus mistake b
= men blind to their own interest
u and the interests of the industr
le they represent" says the St. Loui
n Star, continuing:
~ Sam insult, power magnate
+ evidently learned nothing fror
% Frank L. Smiths disastrous sen
atorial campaign he helped fin
al ance. Nor did Mr.. insult an
~ parently learn caution from tn
N power trust disclosures at Wash
ar ington last year.
r. Ambassador Sackett state
N that the power companies charge
ns too much.
Fl The facts are common know
10 ledge. The Ambassador nigh
7. have said these exOrbitant profit
a are the basis of over-capitalizatio
h and exploitation in the power in
~ dustry that threatens 20 undermin
- its foundations"
NJ Clearly enough Mr.. Sackett j
~ IN for a dose of press drubbine
n too. For we find the Chicag
IN Journal of Commerce insistin
ar that the American Ambassador {
n Germany, "who is probably tn
re- most unsuitable man on the entir
AZ American list of Ambassadors. ia
Just made an egregious exhibitio
of himself:
A Even If his announcement wer
logical, which it is not what reas
on has he to deliver It?
Since when has it become pal
OF the duties of American diplc
mats stationed abroad 10 ASA
p American businesses?
Imagine what would nappen
or an American Ambassador withou
a the slightest necessity arisin
az from his official duties, should ri
into American Agricultural III
as agricultural organizations wouI
" promptly, and reasonably, deman
= his recall"
n Berliners must have been anus
ed at the spectacle Of an Amer
On can diplomat airing what the
IL must regard as a piece of Amer
5e can dirty linen" observes IN
+ Grand Rapids Press, which asl,
a. Why air it there?D And m
+ South Bend Tribune is also critic
al of Ambassador Sackett's 5000
3 taste, or at least common sense
% "In analyzing the affair. it
: mot necessary to consider the in,
- tice or injustice o. utilities rate
- in this country.
'sThe vital point Is that an am
|" bassador. an imoorta,a+ ron~osor