Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/29

 SNAKE RIVER IN HISTORY

21

ownership and control of practically all power plants on the Snake river except one, the Minidoka plant which is owned by the government, and is now operating them in the interest of the parent company. The homebuilders and taxpayers of Idaho as a state have received no direct benefits from the wealth which the waters of Snake river, until the has been wasting into the sea. From the Chicago Tribune, following relative to

March

21,

last decade,

1918, I note the

the Idaho Power Company



"The Idaho

competition, serves with the Snake river plains, extending across

Power Company, operating without electric light

and power

southern Idaho and into eastern Oregon." I might add that every plant they have and every mile of transmission wire I gain are, practically, within sight of the old Oregon Trail. the further significant fact from this paper as follows: "This company operates under the jurisdiction of the public utilities commission of the state of Idaho and the public service commission of the state of Oregon." I have mentioned the fact that, at the present time, the power

development of the Snake river

Of

is

equal to about 120,000 H.P.

amount the government owns and operates at the Minidoka plant 10,000 H.P. This would indicate that the Idaho Power Company has developed about 110,000 and, acthis

cording to the official report published in the paper mentioned, they have in actual use 32,000 H.P. It further shows that the

Gross earnings are Operating expenses, and maintenance

Net earnings

$1,137,425

including taxes

579,201

$ 558,224

The

report shows, moreover, that this 32,000 H.P. if sold at an average of S T cents per kilowatt, and they operate 24 hours per day, would yield the company a net profit of

A

$10,543,180. or a

on $210,863,680.

sum equal

to 5 per cent interest per annum In a statement before the Idaho board of

equalization the company placed a value upon their property of $2,651,000. You have observed that this company operates under the