New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-16
WOULD DESTROY NIAGARA.
Continued from First Page.

ing. fire and sanitary purposes. and said company
has developed power thererom for its own use ana
to lease and sell to others for use FOR
ing. heating, lighting and other business purposes
the right OF said company to take. draw, use
and dispose Of water from said river. for the pur,
and to use and dispose OF such power for the pun,
poses mentioned is hereby recognized declared ana
But said right of said Niagara Falls Hydraulic
draw water from Niagara River for and for
disposal to others to use for the purposes apo.s
own and for disposal to others to use for the
purposes above mentioned, Is hereby limited ana
from said river as shall be sufficient to produce
c" effective provided hat e rsd
Of Niagara River
Section .. This act shall take effect Immediately.
superintendent WEIGH If the Niagara Reserva-
ton. appeared in opposition to this bill on Thurs
day last and President Green. Of the Niagara
Reservation Commission. will appear In opposi-
ton to 1t this week.
OPPOSITION OF THE COMMISSION
In their report to the Legislature in 1895 the
Niagara Reservation Commissioners print the
following letter from President Green to the Gov
ernCr on bill which gave water-power to the
Niagara Lockport and Ontario Power Company:
This grants without compensation very valuable
privilege or franchise the state Is the rparin
from them For the State deliberately TO grant to
value Of pubic property and diminish the attract
yeness of Niagara Falls-the most famous object
pronounced ndefensibe The pass ge by the Leg
slaiure of this and similar measures can only be
Too many bills to allow corporations to take water
from the Niagara River without compensation have
been passed and is time this pclicy or procedure
for the privilege Of ahg water b I hs N@sa be
Falls would I've a greater loss than could be repre-
scented 10y dollars. The great number Of visitors to
people Of the STATE II The Fails ceasc to be At
aGH to tourists ms o ~, S ss spec
iacie Of the Falls should far ou,weigh considera-
tons OF private pccuniary advantage
CONSTANT DIsAPPROvAL EXPRESSED.
It is now three years since the Commissioners
fiji expressed their disapproval OF the diversion OF
the water Of the Upper Niagara by manufacturing
corporations. and In their eighth report they en-
deavored to impress upon the Legislature the I'm
portance Of refusing 70 grant to corporations the
right. privilege license TO Il, THIS. They re-
pofs B" g Sl Leraure ~. vas no, persuaded to
adopt the views OF the Commissioners
The report then cites the attempts to have the
Constitutional Convention take action on the
matter seying in conclusion on that subject:
Even II the convention was dlsincned - revoke
licenses heretofore granted TO corporations II should
have at east adopted an amendment proviiins ior
way The amount Of water to be- taksn and the pur-
poses for which IT might be used.
INSIDIOES ATTACKS on THE FALLS.
The repor; continues speaking Of the Govern
ment ownership Of adjoining lands:
With both sides OF the river under Government
protection. tn" Falls seemed permanently exempted
from the cks OF corporations and certain 20
main as nature made them. for the wonder instruc-
ton and GclcctaiiOn OF mankind
But the sequostraton Of the shores and Islands OF
the river did put end 10 Ingenious devices
to utilize the wateI-pOwer OF the river The Lcgis-
laf ~.
II enacted might have been followed 10y great IN
fury to the reservation and Falls. The strenuous
opposition OF the Commissioners and the people
alone prevented the enactment OF these bills. Ana
the Legislature. ae stated. has granted several cor
poTailcns. without compensation rights and licenses
which. II valid OF enormous value. on" might
think from reading the daily ana periodical press.
that the Niagara Rivers principal use and function
would henccfor;h be 10 turn immense turbine wheels
in cicantc pcnsccfs. In order that power NAV bc de-
veloprd 10 he sold by great coronation tina, the
rapds and the Falls would hereafter be Inferior IN
importnlcc 20 the costly plant ana the structures or
the same pow orful corporation. The Commissioners
have Informed that the ontario authorities re
cevc a stibsian'al annual rental remuneration
for rights and privileges on the Canadian side Of
the and within thu Queen Victoria Niagara
Falls Park similar 10 those granted by the New
York Legislature for no pccuniary compensation
hat