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About Will Maupin's weekly. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1911-1912 | View Entire Issue (May 17, 1912)
K A71 TLV V ; VOLUME 9 LINCOLN, N EBRASKA, MAT 17, 1912 NUMBER 9 tVHAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEBRASKA'S WATER POWER MEANS TO THE STATE The question of how the natural water powers of Nebraska shall be developed must not be allowed to become a political question. Under no circumstances should small bore politicians be allowed to stir up prejudice over so important a question merely to hide their inability to look with broad minds upon questions of vast importance to the people of this state. Let Nebraskans realize once for all that this talk about the state undertaking to develop this water power and handle it as a state owned public utility is the sheerest nonsense. In the first place, the constitution of Nebraska makes it impossible for the state to undertake so stupendous a task, because that constitution for bids the issuance of state bonds under any circumstances whatever. And if it were possible to so amend the state constitution as to permit the issuance of . the necessary 10 or 12 million dollars in bonds, is there any one so foolish as to believe that it would be possible to secure the sanction of the voters to such a proposition? The great water power project known as the Loup river project, and the only one of sufficient importance to demand state wide attention, will, require not less than 10 million dollars to put into operation. The best if could do would be to supply power as far west as Grand Island, as far east as Omaha and as far south as the Kansas line. "Who is there that believes the people far removed from any direct benefit to be derived from that power project will ever consent to saddle themselves with a huge bonded indebtedness in order to benefit a comparatively limited territory. . It is the sheerest nonsense to talk about the state engaging in such an enterprise. Even if it were possible, it would take the state five years to change the constitution, another two years to vote the bonds, and another two or three years to put the project under way. We have already lost too much time. The state can, however, protect itself while making it possible for private capital to develop this great project. It can throw about it. all reasonable and proper, safeguards for the people. . In. brief, all that the state could do, were it the owner of the power plant, for the protection and benefit of the people, it can do through regula tion when the project is privately constructed and owned. All this talk of state ownership is merely nonsense, and if persisted in will delay the development of the project and perhaps postpone it for another generation. "Will Maupin's "Weekly is for public ownership of public utili ties, and always has been, but it would not attempt the impossible nor advocate the impractical. It wants the immense power now going to waste harnessed to the wheels of industry, and Nebraska made to take her rightful place among the great manufacturing states of the Union a place she ought to have because she provides more raw material for manufacturers, outside of iron and steel, than any other state. Few people realize the immensity of the great project now under way and ready to be developed by ample capital and big men if only they are not hampered by cheap politicians and retarded by sheer sentimentalism. The editor of this paper has been studying this great project for years. He is not particularly interested in what set of capitalists get control but interested only in having capitalists get control who will invest their money and really do something. The present dispute over priority will be settled, either by the state board of irrigation or the' equity courts. The chief thing to be desired is a speedy decision. "Will Maupin's Weekly is assured by the representatives of the disputants that both groups are ready to get busy. It knows the men comprising these groups and knows they are not men likely to be fooling away their time and their good money on something of no moment. And it has been studying this Loup river project for more than fifteen years. Its editor, though not a civil engineer nor an electrical engineer though claiming to have a bit of commonsense has been all over the territory in question. . NEXT TO THE NIAGARA FALLS PROJECT THE LOUP RIVER POWER PROJECT IS THE GREATEST IN AMERICA. Keep that fact well in mind ! There is not another water power in America equal to it, save Niagara alone. The Loup river, is a perennial stream, and the records show that of all the rivers in North America' it has the steadiest flow the least fluctuation be tween low water and high water. With its tributaries it drains an area of 15,540 square miles. No other stream in North America now harnessed to the wheels of industry equals that ; no other has so steady a flow; no other has equal natural advantages making for low cost of construction, maintenance and operation. AND NO OTHER IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING AN EQUAL . HORSE POWER. These are hot surmises; they are facts gleaned from the reports of the best engineers in the world. The Loup river project will, when completed, provide 84,000 horsepower, capable of carrying industries consuming upwards of 150,000 horsepower. This seeming paradox is explained by the statement that the average amount of power per hour today in electrical plants and in steam plants, combined, is about half the possible power. For example, when the manufacturing plants are running during the day the electric Lights are little used, and vice versa. The "peak loads" in street railways are between 6 and 8 a. m. and 5 and 7 p. m., before and after the normal load of the manufacturing industries.' Within the territory that this project will serve there is today fewer than 35,000 horsepower in operation, steam and electric. In other words, when completed the Loup pro ject would take care of all the industries we have now, and be capable of caring for three times as many more! , What would that mean? It would mean eleetric lighting plants in every village within the radius mentioned. It would mean scores of industrial plants in cities and towns now wholly dependent upon the 'farmer trade," and an immense increase of capital for tax ation revenue. It would mean cheaper power for electric lines in Fremont, Columbus and Grand Island, providing employment for hundreds of men. It would mean a network of intomrhnn Ut,m throughout eastern Nebraska, giving employment to hundreds, yes ' tnousanas, or men. IT WOULD MEAN THE IMMEDIATE INVESTMENT OF FROM TEN TO TWELVE MILLION DOLLARS IN CONSTRUC TION WORK, FURNISHING EMPLOYMENT TO THOUSANDS OF MEN, AND ADDING IMMENSELY TO THE ASSESSMENT ROLL OF THE COMMONWEALTH. AS A BUSINESS PROPOSITION IT WOULD REALLY PAY NEBRASKA TO SUBSIDIZE SUCH A PROJECT I ; But it is not necessary to subsidize it. Men are ready to. begin work on the great project within thirty days after the question of priority is settled... . ; ( Is it possible that the people of this state will be so unwise as to allow such a magnificent project to be sidetracked by politics t Is it possible that men who are ready to invest millions in the development of this power project are to be swept aside by men who simply desire a political issue? IN THE NAME OF COMMONSENSE; IN THE NAME OF BUSINESS SENSE: IN THE NAME OF TTEAVEV tip vnn PLEASE, LET US NOT REFUSE THE SUBSTANCE IN ORDER W ttAVJfi A CHANCE TO GRAB AT A MERE SHADOW tv;- There never was such a great opportunity afforded Nebraska.1 To neglect it or to lose it by foolishness, would be criminal, To grasp it means more than the mind of man oa.n nnmnwhanA Tt j means millions of capital, the employment of thousands of men, the erection or scores or lactones, tne development of millions of acres of land to provide raw material, the building of hundreds of miles of interurban railways and increase of tax revenues. IT MEANS EVERYTHING TO NEBRASKA. , , Let us not throw away the rights of the state. Let us conserve her resources. Let us protect the people. But let us not dream vain dreams and advocate impossible things. A PLEA FOR FAIR AND COMMONSENSE TREATMENT OF OUR OWN INSURANCE COMPANIES Why are Nebraska fire insurance companies disappearing, one by one? Why have so many Nebraska fire insurance companies re insured, while so few have succeeded in weathering the storms? . A satisfactory answer must include something more than the asser tion that the failed companies were badly managed or insecurely founded. It must take into account the fact that at every session of the legislature "hold up" insurance measures are introduced, threats constantly made, agitation constantly stirred up, and dema gogic appeals made by politicians seeking self aggrandizement. Hon est and conscientious men, seeking to better our insurance laws, have been misled or confused by men seeking to get something for nothing at the expense of those seeking only to do a legitimate busi ness. Men who know no more about the life insurance business than a porker knows about mathematics have drafted insurance laws and advocated them with assurance. A few years ago a bill was introduced calling for the abrogating of the charter of any life insurance company if one of its agents misrepresented a contract. Had that law been enacted there wouldn't have been a life insur ance company left to do business in the state. Yet there were men who declared that this was a just measure in the interests of the dear people. Another proposition was to compel Nebraska insurance companies to deposit all their securities with the state auditor. Yet no provision was suggested to protect the companies in case some crooked auditor fled with the securities and left the policyholders without any company assets with which to pay losses. Another pro position that found favor in certain quarters was to compel insur ance companies to distribute their surplus every year, no note being taken of the fact that such a course would put every insurance com pany up against bankruptcy every minute of every day. And be cause experienced life and fire insurance men operating Nebraska companies have protested and fought such suggestions and proposi tions, they have been accused of trying to plunder the dear people and acquire wealth by stealth. And legislators who have investigated the facts and stood like a stone wall against these unwise things have been accused of being tools of the "insurance combine." Will Maupin's Weekly holds no brief for the insurance com panies. All the money it has ever received for advertising and it has not received a penny for anything else from all of them in the eight years it has been published, would not pay its editor's fire and life insurance premiums for a single year. But this paper does pretend to fight for fair treatment for any and every legitl matA business institution that seeks to do business in Nebraska. It never backs away from a fight to protect home institutions against the schemes and wiles of foreign institutions of a like nature that seek to undermine them. It insists that wisdom demands that we of Nebraska, citizens of a young and undeveloped state, ought, in every way possible and legitimate, make it easy instead of difficult to transact a legitimate business in Nebraska. How many old line fire insurance companies have we in Ne braska today? Several, to be sure; but a close study of the facts will reveal that all but perhaps two or three, and the exceptions weak ones, are merely branches of old line companies of the east, who conduct them under the guise of Nebraska institutions, but in reality milking the policyholders of the state for the benefit of great corporations having their headquarters and making their investments elsewhere. We have three or four life insurance companies of Ne braska birth and rearing, while enough, life insurance premiums are being sent to foreign companies to make many home companies as strong as the strongest. : There is something radically wrong somewhere, men of Ne braska! To locate that wrong and to remedy it is a paramount duty a duty that should not be left to men who know nothing of the insurance business, or who may have a selfish interest in perpetu ating the present conditions. It has been said that Nebraska has had no progressive insurance legislation since 1873. The statement is incorrect. There has been. Not enough, to be sure; but that is due largely to the fact that most of the time our home insurance companies have been busy trying to prevent themselves from being put out of business. And because these home insurance company builders have protected themselves from exploitation and ruin they are charged with being "lobbyists" and "unduly influencing legis lation against the interests of the people." Will Maupin's Weekly asks only for fair play for Nebraska's insurance companies. It has no hesitancy in voicing its opinion that the method of enforcing its insurance laws should be changed. Nebraska hould get in line with other and older states that long since. learned the wisdom of establishing insurance departments that deal wholly with insurance matters, and have nothing to do with other departments. Nebraska needs an insurance commissioner whose tenure of office is dependent solely upon ability and efficiency, and not absolutely upon partisan politics. He should be an expert, and an expert insurance man is not made in two years or in four years. Under our present system we see a man appointed to look after the insurance department because he has rendered some party ser vice, and just about the time he begins to acquire some knowledge of the business and learns the laws, he is displaced by another man whose sole claim is also party service. Yet we wonder at all the troubles that constantly arise in insurance circles. Nebraska ought to get wise to the fact that the laws which work to the benefit of Nebraska insurance companies can not be un fair to foreign companies, although laws which work to the benefit of foreign companies may spell sure death to our home companies. We ought to get wise to the fact that the stronger our home insur ance companies grow the better it is -for every Nebraskan better because it means the building up of our own municipalities and commonwealth. Let regulation be strict and supervision close, to be sure. But let us, in the name of common sense, make it easy for a home company to grow and prosper while safeguarding, the policy holders, instead of making it difficult without adding one iota to the security of the policyholders. We need a lot more of common sense and a lot less of political pettifogging on insurance questions in this great young state. And now is the time to realize the abso lute truth of this matter of fact assertion. PLAY THE BUSINESS GAME. No, the editor of Will Maupin's Weekly is not going to the Baltimore convention. , He doesn't care the howl of a houn' dawg what road the Nebraska delegation to Baltimore takes from Chicago east. But he does believe that Nebraskans ought to patronize a Nebraska road as far as possible, hence he rejoices that the Bur lington is selected by National Committeeman Hall and others as part of the official route. We'd rejoice just as much had it been the Northwestern. But it's a road that runs through Nebraska, helps to build Nebraska and helps maintain the state government and that's what we are most interested in. This newspaper never carried an advertisement for the Burlington, and don't give a whoop whether it ever does or not. That cuts no figure. We're boosting for Nebraska institutions and taking-our chances. And that's why we rejoice that a Nebraska railroad has been selected as part of the official route. Now let our republican friends come across in the same way.; Wouldn't Nebraska be in a pretty fix from the standpoint of transportation if it had to depend upon the Illinois Central?