Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-02-26

MADISON. WIS Feb. 20-Represent-
atjyes ofthe Wisconsin, Valley Improve
ment company arrived in Madison to-
day to explain the merits of the bill to
confer upon this company the right to
establish and maintain system of
reservoirs in Villas, Oneida and Iron
counties along the tributaries of the
Wisconsin river for the purpose of stor-
ing up water at times of surplus and
letting it off at times of scarcity, and
thereby maintaining a uniform flow on
the river, thus greatly adding to the
water power which may be developed
along the Wisconsin river from the
headwaters to the Mississippi. Among
those here today are Walter Alexander
of Wausau, g. ID. Jones, of Wausau
and A. III Reid, of Merrill.
TO MAKE GREAT MANUFACTURING CEN
TER.
According to the statement of these
ervoirs will mean the first step in the
development OF the Wisconsin river
valley as one of the principal manu-
featuring centers of the United States,
sure water enough at all seasons of the
year to operate every existing water
power and make possible the establish
ing of innumerabIe other water powers
for the operation of paper mills, cotton
mills. wooden mills, electrical power
plants and the transmission of current t
to other cities, and provide cheap power
Cor any line of manufacturing which
can be located in any part of the Wis
consin valley, Figures are of no use
in estimating the growth which these
men see for this section if the bill goes
through. They talk in millions and
billions.
BILL RADICALLY CHANGED.
But this bill, which is before the pres
ent legislature, differs materially from
that which failed of passage at the
session two years ago. Under the
terms of this bill, the Wisconsin Valley
Improvement company is not a water
power company and cannot become
such. 1t is to be purely an improve
ment company, and its chief purpose
is to conserve the hundreds of thou
sands of horse power which runs wild
and is wasted in the floods of the spring
aud fall.
This bill gives to the Wisconsin Val
ley Improvement company the right to
establish and maintain a system of
reservoirs for this purpose, but it places
certain restrictions upon the company.
While the company is given the right
of eminent domain, it cannot use this
right without first having obtained the
consent and approval of the state board
of forestry commissioners. While the
company is not to engage in the opera
tioE of water powers, it is given the
power to collect uniform tolls from
water power users along the river in
proportion to the benefits conferred,
but these tolls must not exceed the COS:
of maintaining the uniform flow OF
water and profit amounting to 6 per
cent upon the investment. In addi.
tion to this, any water power user, II
not satisfied with the tolls charged
may have the tolls reviewed by board
of review created by the bill, which
shall have power to say what is 6
reasonable toll.
STATE MAY TAKE OVER
In addition to all this, the bill pro
vides that the state shall have the righ
to take over the property of the com
pany at any time it has the power, fo
what is the real and actual value of tn,
physical property. Under the provision
the state, after an amendment to tn
constitution permitting the state to en-