The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-04-13

The politicians got the offices, the rail-
roads "got it in the neck the public got
! the realization (Which, however, did not
come until later) that it had been fooled
again by the politicians.
The Times-News goes back to dig up
these reminders of railroad history to call
attention to the fact that a similar cam
paign today is being waged against the
power companies, according to similar
plans and methods, and by the politicians.
Every possible effort is being made by
these gentlemen, aided and abetted by the
radicals of the country (the sole interest
of the last named class being in the de-
struction of great privately owned in
dustry, in order that its ownership by gov
eminent may be forced) to do for the
power companies what the politicians and
radicals sought to do for the railroads.
The radicals are solely interested in the
destruction of private business; to compel
government ownership, or Communism.
The politicians have always found it easy,
and a popular thing, to attack big busl-
ness" and seek to inflame the masses
against alleged control by industry. 4.
politician who can adroitly capitalize the
prejudice aroused by any issue OF this
character can get elected to office without
demonstrating to the public that he has
either brains or character.
There are many interesting angles OF
the so-called power controversy" and
many things connected with it are OF the
greatest Importance to the welfare OF the
country.
For example, there is the countrywide
propaganda and ballyhoo for municipal
ownership of utilities, along with the fed
eral governments schemes and expert
ments" for building and operating hydro
electric plants A widespread and system
attic effort is being made to convince the
public that it is being robbed by privately
owned power companies and that millions
upon millions of money can be saved by
government-owned or municipally-oWned
plants Without entering into discussion
of power rates, which may or may not be
high or low, as far as The Tlmes-NeWs'
information goes, this information about
municipal plants will be of public interest:
The United States census reports (not
the power companies or their friends)
show that the average price per klloWatt-
hour for all the electrical power sold by
privately owned companies in 1882 was
2.7 cents; and the average cost OF all cur
rent sold by municipal plants was 81. In
the matter of investments and distribution
costs the municipal plants had marked ad-
vantage over privately owned plants, not
to mention the enormous advantage en-
loved by the municipal plants on account
of being taX-free.
The customers Of municipal plants paid
more for current than the customers c.
privately owned plants; the municipalities
lost the taxes which would have been COL
lected under private ownership; they re-
ceived service which, it is we'll known, Is
less certain and efficient than the service
of private plants and in many cases the
municipal plants not only showed no profit
from operations, but were operated at the
expense of the taxpayers.
The most inefficient business manage
ment known to mankind is government
administration of business in the United
municipal, State or national adj
ministration-and yet there are people IN
this country clamoring to have the power
business of the country owned and operat-
ed bv government, which would mean an
other bill for the taxpayers to struggle
under.