The San Francisco call., 1908-05-17
Governments Attitude No Bar to FuI
Development Of Power Resources
Letters From Chief Forester Pinchot Close in Line
With Policy Of President Roosevelt

closed copy taken from the River
side Daily Press
Mr. NTH axes two points First,
that the forest service in issuing per-
mits for rights OF way. TO water ap-
propriations, ndef the sta avs
shows favoritism by preferring a later
to an earlier appropriation. or at least
claims that it may do so; second. that
the forest service charges for per-
mits issued to hydro-electric power
companies.
The forest service has never pre-
ferred one citizen or private corpora
tion to another nor has it ever claimed
that ii had the powe to do so. On the
contrary. 1t has declined to inquire into
the water rights of contesting appli-
cants further than to require each to
show prina facie water right in ac-
cordance with the state laws. If both
show such right the service has re-
fused to inquire as to which of the two
has the better right, but has issued
permits to both. leaving them to settle
all questions of water right in the
state courts.
PREFERS MUNICIPALITIES
The thing the service has done to
which Mr. Smith objects is to prefer
q municipality seeking a right of way
for municipal water supply tn private
citizens and corpora tions seeking rights
of way for personal gain. regarding
the use of water by a city for a mu-
nicipal supply as in a peculiar sense
public use. l therefore did what |
could 10 aid the city of Los Angeles
in securing the right of way for it's
aqueduct. which was finally granted it
by an act of congress. and have rec
ommended. for the protection OF the
aqueduct from pollution, the inclusion
within the Sierra national forest of
lands in the valley of the Owens river.
This inclusion Mr.. Smith strongly op-
posed. Furthermore. in the exercise
Of any discretion conferred upon me
by law I shall always prefer the in
terests of a city or other municipal
corpora tion to those of an Individual If
the claims of the two are in Othrr re-
spects equal National forest reserves
are reserved and administered pri-
marily for the benefit Of the public
and only secondarily as an opportunity
for money making by forest users. I
am strongly of the opinion that city.
county or other municipal corporation
has a higher standing as a representa-
tive of the public than any corpora tion
organized for the purpose Of money
making.
PERMITS OF GREAT VALUE
You do not REFER to the charge i'm
posed by the forest service upon COM
mercial power companies to which MIR.
Smith objects l believe that the per-
mits Issued to these companies by the
forest service are OF great value and
that the permittees should pay for
:hem as do others who get inc *
elusive use of national forest lands
and resources for commercial profit If
men for grazing permits. hotel keepers
for hotel permits. and the like. many
of these being men of small means, I
can not understand why power com
oanies most of which are wealthy
and powerful corporations, should rot
pay a fair price for what they got also.
I believe further that the president
was entirely right when he said IN his
message Of February &c:
THE material wealth and natural rs-
sources of the country related to
waterways are being steadily absorbed
by great monopolies.
Among these monopolies. as the re-
port Of the commission points out
there is no other which threatens. or
has ever threatened. such Intolera Bile
interference with the daily life Of the
people as the consolidation of compa-
nies controlling water power. call
your special attention to the attempt
Of the power corporations. through
bills introduced at the present session.
to escape from the possibility of gov
ests of the people These bills
are intended to enable the cor
porations to take possession in per-
petuity of national fores st lands for the
purposes of their business. where ard
as they please. wholly without COM
pensation to the public. Yet the effect
Of granting such privileges. taken to-
gether with rights already acquir-o
under state laws. would be to give
Through lack of foresight we have
formed the habit Of granting without
compensation extremely valuable
rights amounting to monopolies ON
uavigable streams and on the public
domain. The repurchase at great ex-
pense OF water rights thus carelessly
given away without return has all eady
begun In the east and before long will
be necessary in the west also. No
rights involving water power should
be granted to any corporations If per-
petuity. but only for length OF time
sufficient to allow them to conduct
their business proftabIy. reasona BILE
charge should of course be made for
valuable rights and privileges whicn
they obtain from the national govern
ment The values for. which this
charge is made will ultimately,
through the natural growth and or
derly development OF our population
and industries. reach enormous
amounts. A fair share Of the increase
should be safeguarded for the benefit
of the people, from whose labor II
springs. The proceeds thus secured.
after the cost of administration. and
Improvement has been met. shoulP nat
urally be devoted to the DEVELOPMENT
Of our inland waterways"
MUST PREVENT MONOPOLY
I believe that IT Is entirely proper
for the forest service to insert reason
able conditions IN its power permits
to prevent monopoly One of these
conditions is that the permittee shall
commence construction within a speci-
fed time and complete 1t within a
further specified time. which NAV be
extended only on account of unforeseen
engineering obstacles and the, like.
This is for the purpose of preventing
any permittee from holding water
power privileges unused. He must
either develop them for the benefit of
the public or forfeit his permit.
Mr.. Smith is mistaken in intfmating
that I favor a more revocable license
for power plants. It is congress that
does that The act of February Is, 1901