The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1948-12-16
THE AMERICAN WAY
Lightless Ontario

In a previous article l recount
ed that on recent visit to Can
ada, our good friends up there
had lot of fun at my expense,
joshing me about our buying
Canadian potatoes while we
burned or otherwise destroyed
millions of bushels of American
grown potatoes. I had to just sit
and take the "ribbing" because
there is no defense that can be
entered or explanation made of
the stupid course our govern
ment has pursued with potatoes.
However it wasn't long before
| had a chance to do some rib
bing" on my account. 1t seems
they have done some silly things
up in Canada too-came a pain
full manifestation of one of their
follies committed many years
ago. The electric lights went off.
That's funny" I remarked,
there doesn't seem to be any
storm.
''The lights go off at this time
every evening". l was informed.
What's the trouble? Why
don't they fix whatever is
wrong?" l asked.
There's no mechanical trou-
BILE. We are up against power
shortage and the lights are turn
ed to conserve it," said my in
formant as he lighted kerosene
lamp.
'What's the matter with the
power company? Why doesn't it
enlarge it's facilities? We would
not put up with such nonsense
in New York"
well, you see, there is not
any company. We Ontario citi-
zens own the power business
we ran the privately-owned COM
panies out of business many
years ago"
By this time I was beginning
to enjoy myself. 1t was now my
turn to rub it in. $50 now you
are the victims of a bungling
bureaucracy, which you created,
that has failed to measure the
demand and adequately provide
for it-you find yourselves in the
untenable position of owning the
power business-the only COM
plant that you can make is to
yourselves. You socialized your
power business and now you
have your lights turned off.
Serves you right" And with that
parting rejoinder, l groped my
way out!
And, back in the United States
where we have committed SINH
lar follies and are planning more
of the same, l picked up copy
of the Chickashaw (Okla.,) Star.
The editor of this weekly news
paper in a pithy editorial,
Here's Good Example of Gov
ernment in Business" pays his
respects to "Lights-out Ontario"
and issues a warning to us. Read
and heed what he has to say.
I'm the province of Ontario,
Canada, the government has had
a monopoly of the power busi-
ness for many years. The social
minded voters of Ontario long
ago turned the running of the
light and power business over to
the government Now the folks
of the principal towns of Ontario
are facing complete dimout for
several hours each day week.
Citizens are warned they can
use their electrical appliances
only certain hours of the day. In
Wharton, Ontario, the head of
the government power monopoly
has warned the town that folks
in the city are wasting power.
They are leaving lights on in
their homes at all hours of the
night. He warns that if this con-
tinues the government will pull
the switches and leave the town
without any light or power at
all.
"All over Ontario the factory
owners have been warned that
they must save their power and
cut off the use of power at GER
tain hours of the day. This is a
perfect example of what happens
to country or a people when
they do away with private enter
prise and turn their facilities
over to the government to run.