The St. Louis Republic., 1905-12-26
PRESERVE NIAGARA FALLS.

Picturesque Niagara Is the most beautiful aEt;
distinguished scenic feature Of the American Cot
tinen, the greatest waterfall In the world, and an
attraction to al peoples. Every American boasts
II II when he is abr.ad and it is peculiarly dear IL
sentiment. America would hardly be AMERICA with.
Niagara Falls and the great public Of the United
States will not willingly disroied of its mighty
garment Of beauty and sacrificed to the commercial
vandalism of . handful Of private corporations
which seek to divert the water to power plants.
Ten lower-deveIcp;ng companes-four America,
aud six Canadian-pow have authority 10 utii;z.
49,. per If the effective power Of the Falls.
These developments. il fully utilized. will in tn.
juslgn.en, Of ensineers destroy the American Fall
for the that but I: per cent Of the average
dow "f Nis.a.a passes over the losaS feet Of the
American Fail.
II even half the authorized amount cf water Is
withdrawn above the catarsct. the American rapids
will BE- entirely hare Of water except for a thin
tr!ckie to pass over the facr of the American Fs
Five companies are exercising their frau.
chse> and actually developing power. while tn.
others are actively preparing TO DO the same.
The power development 20 far has resulted in r +,
l'rneiit to the people at large. The city Of Buffalo
is lighted by Niagara made power. for which light
il pays thsn the average price paid by AmeEi-
can cities f~ light produced by means "f bu-nin:
coal And the trolley lines Of Buffalo driven nv
the Niagara power. the people paying the. ordinary
scent fare. and the city receiving nothing to boast
II in the way of revenue. So that nobody but the
stockholders In the power corporations h-neiits by
tn. vandalism. and the stockholders not great
many in number
II half of the authorized power Is developed hy
the companies now having permission. and n hal:
this l..wcr h sold At half the Pric~ now hcipS
charged. income Of approximately twenty million
dollars will hs received by the ten companies. .f
which would Z" into the public revenue
either If New York State the United States. while
the lominien "f Canada would receive approximat,
iy hut s:i0es' year.
Ti. preservation cf Nisgara Falls can he acco,N-
!''>., only 10y the combined efforts "f the American
and Canadian Governments. President Roosevelt,
in his u,cs<s-. ,o Congress strongly recommended
such Joint preservation.
The Treaty II s:hrn,. which determined tai.
boundary lines 10 the Niagara River. fixes upon ,h..
tw" governments Shc moral duty "f protecting il.
The ordinance "f l7~: rrroeuizes the inter
~ all tl- States and Territories in the Niagara
River Fer II r-'fcs that an waters flowing into t'
Mississippi and the ~. Lawrence rivers and it..
csrryin: places brsw..n shall b. held ns pnb.
highway. forever FREQ 8" the p--,pe. wi,hou, ln,-
,-,>: Of duiy Thu. there 10 anp,. warrant cf a,,-
, ih"rry fpr Government action which Congress
should r.~o:ax"
T:,.,n>rn.i- g? r.mnn~tr3nccs CDO4r~>.IIi-.
Fsr constituents in every par of tn. United Stat
testify 20 rhe strength OF pov'lar r..n,rens asar>,
a.nuia'ou a;.d destruction cf the Falls Preserving
-hr Faits sil -. In. work ~ public opinion II Is
work IN which every Individual sh~,l.i hav. AZ,
Interest E..ry Individual may has. 4 hand 10 u,
n" i:.pr">sn,a,iv. Of yoIr al-trir, vi;
h.ap. a. i'r.-i.S~nr Roosevelt, has suggested