The Washington times., 1906-02-15
BURTON FIGHTS
BOLD GRAB BILL
Promoters Want Valuable
River Grant.
CLEVERLY HIDDEN TRICK
Provisions Give FRANCHISE to Alabama
From Which Magnates VIII Sc
cure S7,ooo,ooo Rights

Representative Burton, chairman of
the Rivers and HarboTs Committee, IS
fighting what is alleged TO be one of
the boldest grab bills attempted in
long time. II is an attempt TO secure
from the Government without return
water power grant covering thirty miles
OF the Tennessee river, called Muscle
Shoals. within the State of Alabama.
The real promoters are concealed be-
hind provision which gives this grant
10 the State of Alabama, from which
these promoters are in turn. to secure
81. Digging deeper TO the region of
names on Incorporation papers issued
during earlier phases OF this scheme
one finds the usual law clerks figuring
sBs the supposed promoters Senators
Morgan and Carmacz, who prepared
Especial report on this scheme. find that
Kthe rights asked for have a value OF
100000.
Second Only to Niagara.
The thirty miles of rapids which the
Government Is asked 10 donate have
fall Of 107 feet & fourteen-nie strip.
which the promoters of the bill are will
ing to accept as a compromise. has a
Tall of eighty-seven feet and is capable
sof accommodating nine power dams. The
power thus generated would be second
only to Niagara with its power possibili-
ties fully utilized,
1t is believed to be a scheme of New
4 York maGnates to create a new indus
trial district in Alabama, from which
they could take millions of profit from
real estate and power sources and for
promoting.
Suspicion has been aroused by the
gum shoe methods employed to slip this
na4AN
sufficient influence to keep II out of the
hands of the Rivers and Harbors Com
mittee and to place 1t with the Commit
tee on Interstate and Foreign Com
merce, of which Representative Richard
son, of Alabama. who introduced the
bill, is a member.
Burton on the Alert.
The Richardson bill, liked up with
favorable report. was slipped through
the House at time calculated to take
Mr.. Burton off his guard It found
creased ways in the Senate But Mr..
Burton reached the White House IN ad-
vance of the bill. AS a matter of fact
President Roosevelt vetoed the same
bin when passed by the Fifty-seventh
Congress, largely on the advice of Mr.
Burton and the Government engineers.
Last year the bfII which was again in
trOduced, was given its proper reference
10 the Rivers and Harbors Committee.
Gearing q similar fate Its promoters
recalled IL to offe. an amendment re-
ducing the grant from thirty to four
teen miles Of the river.
Government Should Get Return.
Chairman Burton has taken the ground
when lis committee has passed on these
power bills that the Government should
exact some return. A bill granting a
water power franchise In the upper Ten
nessee river near Chattanooga, which
passed Congress with the approval Of
the House River and Harbor Committee.
provided. for tnsta ice. that the com
pany should construct a navigation lock
whenever the Government should re-
quiTe it and this company has also un-
dertaken to furnish the city of Chat
tsHooga with electric arc lighting for
dfty years, free of cost. President
Roosevelt is disposed to take similar
ground
The Richardson bill, recalled for
amendment. lies on the Speakers desk |
from which IL may be taken at almost
any time When il comes up there will |
be sharp fight.