The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, May 20, 1918, Page 14

e SR s J¢ Eersicoymo s s ing the egg and, even, they showed me, warming the baby’s bottle. Such is electrical convenience. Across the river from Burley is the town of Rupert. Many faimers around there have installed electricity. Carl Lipp, secretary of the Farmers’ Mutual Light company, has service in a modern home, plenty of light in and about his buildings, operates an automatic water pump, electric iron, power washer and has never had a bill over $2.25 a month. George Stanley, his neighbor at Rupert, for $2 a month, has all the electricity he needs, operates an automatic pump, washing machine and iron, has an outside arc light, and illuminates two homes on his place. - If there could be a mutual company formed which would use a minimum of 400 watts, the same rates obtained in the city of Burley, one cent a kilowatt, can be obtained by the farmers. Now, naturally enough, the farmers who are securing this electricity are pleased with the idea of state ownership. They like to see a good thing passed around. They want others to share the benefits. MORE EFFICIENT THAN CORPORATION OWNERSHIP A citizen should not be compelled to pay tribute to the “Knights of Plunder.” These plunderers have for their song in the spoiling of the enemy, that “private ownership brings more efficiency.” But that song is completely out of tune. It grates upon the nerves of men who study and who know, and private ownership, we are led to believe, only breeds more “beasts that prey.” The only criticism I have of Burley, that thriv- ing, progressive city, is that they have been too modest, toc self-satisfied. That great “lighted way” all over the city, a marvel of dazzling light, tells aloud a part of the story of that little metrop- olis. The people should sing aloud from the hill- tops the story of Burley’s emancipation from the power trust. One can afford to do much singing when the government is selling electricity at one cent a kilowatt. Is it any wonder that both the newspapers and many of the citizens in Burley are friendly to the Nonpartisan league? It is not popular to knock the League in Burley for there is no employe of the power trust in that city. Wherever the power trust has a line into a town, one finds strong opposition to the League. THE LEAGUE'S PROGRAM OF STATE OWNERSHIP OF ELECTRICITY WILL SURELY WIN. Think of it! The citizens of Idaho can have electricity sold to them reasonably. No need of coal. One can put the meat into the oven, the po- tatoes in the water, and setting the electric alarm, go off to church. At the right moment the alarm turns on the electricity and at 1 o’clock, wheh home from church, the family will find the meat cooked and the potatoes boiled. Think how nice it is to lie in bed in the morning, have the alarm clock turn the electric button on at the right hour, wake up to find the oatmeal cooked, the water boiling for coffee, and the house warmed by the electric stoves. These are not luxuries. These are neces- gities. . All that stands in the way is the Idaho power trust. This trust says, “Pay me a toll be- fore you can use nature’s own gift, the heritage of all the people.” A REGION VICTIMIZED BY THE ELECTRIC TRUST Originally there were three power corporations operating around the Twin Falls country. These were united in 1914 and 1915 into a monopoly under the control of the General Electric company. Stranglehold methods familiar to the power trust accomplished some of this.. Today the power trust has a complete monopoly. ) Now comes the nigger in the woodpile. To ‘The modern high school at Burley, Idaho. It has no furnaces and no chimneys. It is inexpensively heated and ventilated by electricity. One of the big, progressive men who swear by the Nonpartisan league is Ray McKaig. He formerly was presi- dent of the state Grange of North Da- kota and is now field secretary for the League. All his efforts are being given to carry the message of Nonpartisan- ship to the nation, by lectures, cam- paign speeches and articles for the great eastern magazines. The accom- panying article by Mr. McKaig, in which he tells his impressions of Ida- ho, is well worth a place in any publication. make further competition impossible, and to in- sure an absolute monopoly in the electric field, the Idaho “public utility commission” law was passed by the legislature in 1913. That commis- sion was originally headed by D. W. Standrod. Un- der. his leadership competition was given a severe blow. Independent companies asking for entrance in the field must be passed upon by the new utility commission. This commission “had the right of veto on any new company and used it freely. On the Clear lake power site the owners, previous to the passage of this law, had spent several thou- sands of dollars in construction work. After the law was passed, the company naturally applied for o charter. Hearings were held by the commission in many places over the Twin Fails tract. Hun- dreds of people complained about the excessive rates of the power trust, and asked that the field "be opened to competition, and the charter be granted. Their requests were denied. The pe- tition of the Clear Lake Power company was turn- ed down. Construction was checked. Though they had spent much money there was no relief. This happened in many other instances over the state. Competition was barred. The power trust had the people by the throat. Public opinion was roused. Chairman Standrod retired. Strange to say, he was immediately placed upon the board of direc- tors of the Idaho power trust. FOILING THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE In 1915 the legislature threatened to repeal that law, but the friends of the power trust, backed up by powerful Wall street interests, hurried to the defense of this infamous law, and the state legisla- ture was subservient to their desires. In fact, the legislature changed its position overnight and re- fused either to repeal or amend the law. Senator Harding of Oneida county told ‘Senator Zuck of Twin Falls that on the night previous to the roll call on the repeal of this unfair law, he was in- vited over to a party at the Owyhee hotel. Sena- tor Harding said that they promised him much “long green” and a good time. Senator Harding refused to go and voted right, but some senators DID change their vote. THE POWER TRUST WON—THE PEOPLE LOST. Although the law was not repealed, it was claim- ed that the personnel of the commission had changed. But the sentiment of the people had not changed and in the legislative session of 1917 the fight was again waged. The law was amended. Municipalities and mutual nonprofit corporations were taken out from under the control of the-public utility commission. A legislature is nothing but the snap of a finger in the way of a child when the power trust wants something. Twin Falls by a vote of four to one elected a ticket for municipal ownership. Straight- way after election municipal ownership immediate- ly died. : I made the acquaintance of the man who has The second "largest mill in Idahd, operated by government . ~ - electricity. “ e PAGE FOURTEEN. R A T At T G S S R S A T 0 £ U A i N BT R “ized to take over that Clear lake site. made this fight against the-trust. W. C. Hazzard owned the power site of Clear lake. He put his money into the thing. He has been pounded on one side and skinned on the other by politics, power trust and the hounding influences of the power trust. Hazzard used to be an old football player on the Wisconsin university team. He still has that same old football spirit. When the election took place in Twin Falls for municipal- ownership, the power animals got real scared. Engineers and local officers of the power trust hurriedly visited the Clear lake power site. A campaign to blockade was inaugurated. The city laid down. The mutual company was organ- Then the big fellows got busy. S. Z. Mitchell, power trust -official from New York City, Engineer McGee, to- gether with the power trust state manager, William Wallace, hurried off to Twin Falls to block this new mutual company. Officers of the mutual and some of the organizers were called upon. Pres- sure was put to bear upor two of them. December 15 and 18 of last year action was taken to cancel the permits owned by W. C. Hazzard. Is the power trust octopus behind this movement? Have they furnished money to fight this mutual company with? In spite of this opposition, however, Mr. Hazzard has sold his rights to this mutual company and they are now going to work out a scheme to get cheaper power, which the city of Twin Falls ought to do for them. These public-spirited men who are fighting the power trust surely deserve credit. The Hun Within Our ” Gates BY C. J. BUELL HERE ain’t no such animal” While that statement is probably not liter- ally correct, I believe it is far more nearly so than most of the newspaper articles and editorials that seem to be intended to convey the idea that a large fraction of the American people are disloyal at heart and in sympathy with the kaiser. For many months past the newspapers have been full of articles, with more or less glaring head- lines, in prominent front page position, telling of ground glass in canned food, and soberly giving the impression of a deep-laid and far-reaching pro- German plot to kill our soldiers_and civilians by feeding them ground glass. Other startling dis- coveries relate to poisoned bandages and incendiary fires which are said to be greatly on the increase. - -'’And now comes United States Attorney General Gregory and officially reports that a careful in- vestigation made by the department of justice has shown the ground glass story to be wholly without foundation, that incendiary fires have not increased over previous years and that they found only one small case of poisoned bandages, due to an accident for which no one could be blamed. Thus vanish into thin air three very sensational pro-German plots; but, whereas the yellow press published the fakes on the front page under big headlines, they found a very obscure place on some inside page for the report-of the attorney general _exploding the rumor. Z Even the zealots, who are devoting their energies to the stupid work of denouncing their fellowmen as traitors and pro-Germans—even the zealots who, if you were to take them seriously, would make you believe that haif the American people are in sym- pathy with the kaiser, and whose stupid mouthings the kaiser is industriously circulating among the German people to make them believe that America is on the point of revolt in his favor—even these stupid people are not consciously playing into the hands of our enemies. They just don’t know better. _ Government-owned power house at Minidoka. Three . great water turbines working night and day.” State | ° owners!fip of water power will enrich the people, - = ' - ‘