Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1905-05-12
SENSIBLE EDITORIAL ON
WISCONSIN RIVER BILL

Ing.
'The Sentinel is not prepared to
indOrSe the Wipperman bill for the
improvement of the Wisconsin river
water power, as it has not critically
examined that measure in it's amended
form. The legislature ought to be
able to see that any charter granted
to individuals or corporation author
izing the construction of reservoirs
shall not involve the confscation of
property of others. But the Wiscon-
sin river ought to be improved, and
it will be improved sooner or later.
A Milwaukee evening paper, COM
menting on this subject, takes strong
ground against the granting of any
charter by the present legislature.
1t tells Of the preliminary survey of
the headwaters of the Wisconsin by
the federal government and the
estimate of the cost of the dams and
levees, S156,0 made at that time.
1t notes the fact that the area that
would g overfiowed by this system of
dams would approximate 1882 acres.
nh than ,rnac tn COW.
On the basis of this survey two con-
illusions may be drawn in connection
witch the Wipperman bill. In the
first place, there is not needed for the
greatly improved development of the
water power of Wisconsin vast enough
sums to justify the state ia giving
away every right to the use of the
river to private parties in order that
sums may be raised and devoted to
the project. Especially since prelim-
mary survey has already Deen made,
the undertaking is not of the enor-
nous size to entitle those engaging
in it to the immense returns which
are absolutely assured. In the second
place, it appears certain that the
Of the river to the extent
herein embraced would prove con-
fscatory of no incOnsiderable part of
the headwater counties on the river.
The question may we'll be asked by
the residents of this part of the state
What guarantee have we that this
entire country will not be flooded for
the purpose of developing the river
if absolute rights to the use of our
lands is conferred upon these private
individuals?
Any man who knows ANYTHING
about the Wisconsin river knows that
there are seasons VIXEN every ounce of
water that can be stored at the head
waters will be needed to develop the
full water power of that stream. 1t
should be remembered that there are
improved or potential water powers
along the entire course of the river
from Eagle River to Nekoosa, it being
difficult to find a two mile stretch at
any place where a power has not been
developed or where there is no good
dam site.
The talk of "giving away every
right to the use of the river to private
parties" is sheer nonsense. The state
cannot do so if it would. At NekooSa,
Port Edwards, Grand Rapids, Stevens
Point, Wausau. Merrill, Tomahawk,
Rhinelander, and at other points
there are water powers now in use for
manufacturing purposes. No charter
can be granted by the state that
would operate to derive any Of these
powers CT their right to use the
natural flow Of water. The state can
not give away or sell the waters of a
navigable stream, nor can it charge
toll or tax for the use of that water.
So far as the overflow of lands is
if the state could thereby
assure the full development of the
water power of the Wisconsin river
and could lawfully do so, it would be
worth while to appropriate the money
to buy the $4,000 acres of land to be
flooded and pay good round sum for
1t. AS the state can do this, the next
best thing will be to permit some one
else to do it.
Six years ago a superficial survey of
the Wisconsin river valley revealed
the fact that the improvement of that
river and it's tributaries would deve-
op 100000 horsepower. When it is
that millions of dollars
have been expended at Sault Ste
Marie in developing a much smaller
power, and that the cost of improving
the Wisconsin powers will be a mere
Oagatelle compared with the sum
paid for the 500 canals, dams, and
locks. the wisdom of undertaking this
work at an early date becomes ap-
parent.
Another feature of this enterprise
to which attention has before been
called by The Sentinel is the pos
sibility of turning the Wisconsin