Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-02-22
ASSEiip| yMAN SMITH
GIVES Ills POSITION
DEALS 49, ROUGH AND
READY DAM QUESTION.
No CHARGE OF Passage Of Bill Un-
less Company Meets Demands
in Sevcmy live Per Cent OF
Claims Property Owners
Should Not Try Hold UP.
tFrOm Saturdays Daily.)


The following are excerpts from a
letter rec, ived at the Leader office
from Ass, nblyman Fred Smith, giving
his position on The question involved
dam in this city to the extent Of three
feet, the request beng made OF the
Legislature III the introduction of
bill by tie WatertOwn Gas Snd
Electric company Mr.. Simth takes
fair and liberal view of the situa-
ton and writes in part as follows !:
81 Notice that the company is max
ing an effoIt - settle with property
owners VITO v Culd be effected by the
raising oil the Rough and Ready Gam
ard | nope they will be success 4
in at least s9yenty-five per cent. OF
the cases win The limits of the city,
as other,, sc there will be no SHOW Of
getting ae BAH through | want L
SEE thl :. mi any Pay literally for tn.
damages Letore | supper. the bill, but
/ do lot LelIe YES that lew should +,
able " LC,u W tie company ty nah
ing unrea Ont aie den ands.
sha ] Cel calmly hold up the bill
until botG sides are RAY 10 be heart.
| am desn GU If a list OF owners Ci
land ) h IN W.Lld De Uau as q, &c
what extent ana the damages asked
81 believe ~ ueyel oL.Eg anC utllE
Ius 10y poJnd 1t noise power that
can be go zen vuE vi our magnihctnl
rivers AID eams throughout oGl
which are na1 going TO waste
would much pl aier u See the different
muncIpal, ieo d gu. re such franchises,
as that go. Iii. ore power, light,
etc., at l. ,numum cost to The
taxpayers, but | am sorry to say that
Waterfowl was slow to see its at
vantages ne TINE the dam property
changed I'm IS some time ago.
"Howeya- y atertoNn is not the
only city that failed to see the advan-
tages la !; curing the property and
selling lg: AID power, as you now do
water, fot out Of fifteen bills before
the legis azure this winter for the
erection q dams tu manufacture light
and hydr@ nc lo"e r, etc, only one
of such Is keG for, that by city W
on the Wisconsin river.
"Of CO he legislature, in grant
ing tn1s n valuable franchises
should an ...o.t INSIST that the inter
ests of ii. j., opie effected are pro-
tecteG al, ma ne damages caused by
flo, d NJ il a d. ETC., are literally
paid tor, 49, men such corporations
charge ex 5 ). a prices for tlansmis-
sion OF l!s,s,, lover, etc, the sta,e
by commission must regulate such
rates, the san as is now done by
the railway commission in railroad
rates.
''Just at he present time, the
agitation among the people at large
is very much against all corporations
the reasons % which are justified only
in so far as they refer to certain
corporations, once rich, show a ten
dency not to Gre d for the public
and only ann to further their own
selfish interests and TO accomplish
which in the slo. Cest possible time,
have sometimes resorted to dishonest
methods But this is not proving
that all are bad
'tIa my humble opinion, we cannot
get along without them. We have
got to have men " 18th wealth, organized
capital, or in oIher words, corpora
lions, who stand ready to back the
various enterprises to develop the
resources of the state.
Though the state has fought ana
must continue to fight those who are
found to be discriminating against
the public, the legislature must keep
watch over them always, like the
schoolmaster does his flock.
81 am on the committee on dams
and therefore share of a great re-
sponsibiiity rests upon me in practically
giving away these various valuable
franchises and | would be pleased to
hear from any of my constituents
as to whether or not my position in
this matter Is right or not -
Fired Smith, M. Al