The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-06


 Hydraulic Construction company of Bos- ton and solomon X Norcross of Atlanta, all of whom have been successively em- ployed to make surveys and reports.
 The unqualified fndorsement of the en- gineering department of the United States army including the division engineer at Montgomery and Brigadier General Mac Kenzie, chief of engineers at Washing ton.
 The approval Of blue prints, plans and specifications by the Secretary of War.
 The emphatic indorsement of the project by the two Senators from Alabama, and the enlistment of their practical assist ance, together with the assured cooper ation of the members of the House.
 An appropriation of $1000O by the gov ernment, secured by Senator Bankhead for a special survey to determine levels, sub mergence, practicability and benefit to navigation, the survey having already been made during the past summer with results which confirm and strengthen the ] previous reports of private engineers.
 An amended bill, carrying an appropria- l tion of $l00,000 for the dam, framed under the auspices of the war department, in- ] dorsed by the chief engineers of the army and the Secretary of War for passage and unanimously indorsed by the inland ] water ways commission.
 Markets at hand waiting and eager to take all the power the current of that noble stream can afford
 Exclusive power rights and power sits to a volume of water capable of furnish l ing power equal to that from 500,000 tons of coal per annum in perpetuity.
 These assets are not mere claims, but i exist, and the documents may be inspect ed by anyone who may be interested. I Powers Conferred By the State.
 The Coosa River Electric Power com fs1 lo laws of Alabama, and obtained only such general rights and powers as were con ferred by the laws in 1905 upon private corporations of this character. Under the stimulus of the enormously increased in terest and importance attached to water powers in the last few years, the legis- lature of 1907 passed an act giving special powers and privileges to water power companies which might undertake such developments on navigable streams as would also aid navigation, the improve 1 ment of navigation in the interest of all l the people being the primary purpose of the act This law confers exclusive rights in any stretch of river to be improved, on the first corporation which shall have acquired the necessary lands for site on both sides of the river and filed a copy of it's charter with it's plans and specifica- tons approved by the federal government, in the office of the secretary of state at Montgomery. With this requirement. the Coosa River Electric Power company was the first to comply, and thus acquired all the rights and powers which the state could confer, including the bed of the river, the right of eminent domain and for the condemnation of aK lands needed for i submergence, transportation or otherwise, along the Coosa from the site of the great dam northward. In addition to the powers granted the state, as a special recogni- ton of the value of such developments to the people as a whole, exempted all : such companies from taxation for a period of 10 years.
 The special act of Congress giving to this company exclusive rights to all l the waters not needed in the operation Q of the lock was approved by the Presi- dent in March, 1907, having been among 4 the last services performed by the then Congressman Bowie for the people of Alabama.
 Change in the Situation.
 In the meantime there came about an upheaval of public sentiment on the subject of conserving water powers and other natural resources. The govern ment suddenly awoke to the vast and pressing importance of this matter, and in response the President appointed the Inland Waterways commission with lO llStSll5dlG anu lCPOAb on the whole subject of the improve ment of the navigable streams Aof the country. For the purposes of this ar ticle, what the commission had to say on the subject of Water Powers" is of absorbing interest, the following ex- tract being taken from its report to the President:
 Locks and certain other works de- signed to improve navigation commonly produce head and store water in such manner as to develop power ayai @N7 for industrial purposes while work signed to develop power on navi and source streams affect the tion and other uses of river sys and these uses must necessarily be sidered together The control of terways on which successful na ton depends is so intimately conn with the prevention of floods ane waters; with control and utilizati' power developed in connection works of improvement of navigs with the standardizing of methodi facilities and the co-ordinating ot terway and railway instrumental that local and special questions corning the control of water should be treated a general tion of national importance. while or special projects should be co cred as parts of a comprehensive  all the peoples"
 In transmitting this re1ort to Cor the President used the language which this article opens. And thu born the new doctrine or principle ordination.'
 Coordination
 Which means that the governmen not henceforth improve the rivers an eye single to navigation, but vii the cooper ation of the state, the m paity or che corporation the indi to the end that improvement of tion may go hand in hand with benefits to the people. Where the situation points to reclamation or age the government will adapt tn, provement to that end. Where mur supply is the interest to be consi government improvement will 10 that. Where development of power the public interest and suited to tIl H cality the government will co-operat the state, municipality or the vidual to produce power
 Government Share of Cost The cost of the development to u tent that navigation will be improN | Is contemplated, shall be borne | tif | government. In return for the ben the power supply resultant from tn | ernment work the power compan pay a reasonable charge or royal the power which 1t may sell to the TT ,f. .I,sa xxrt11 ha iY1 fha f11pa nf