Omaha daily bee., 1908-02-27
WATER AND POWER
President Sends Report Of Inland
Commission TO Congress.
FAvoRs WIDEST DEVELOPMENT
With Little Foresight Streams Can Be
Used for All Purposes.
POWER MONOPOLY THREATENED
Attention is Called to Bills Pending
in Congress
ALL RIGHTS SHOULD BE GUARDED
Perpetual Power RiEhts ShOuId Not
Ne Granted and All BeneHts shouId
BE PRid For - Prompt
Action Needed.
With Little Foresight Streams Can Be
Used for All Purposes,
'owER MONOPOLY THREATENED
IL RIGHTS SHOULD BE GUARDED

WASHINGTON Feb. 26-President Roose-
welt today transmitted 10 congress the
preliminary report OF the Inland waterways
commission, accompanying IL with a sIe-
cisl message in which he said in part.
Il transmit herewith preliminary re-
port from the Inland Waterways cornmis-
sion. which was appointed by me last
March in response to a widespread interest
and demand from the people. The basis Of
this demand lay in the general and sd-
mirted inability Of the railroads TO handle
promptly the traffic Of the country, and
especially the crops Of the previous fall
The report rests throughout on the fun
dAmental conception that every waterway
should be made TO serve the people A.
largely and in as many different ways as
possible il is poor business TO develop a
river for navigation in such a way as t.
prevent its use for power, when by a little
foresight ii could be made 10 serve both
purposes We cannot afford needlessly to
sacrifice power to irrigation. or irrigation
TO domestic water supply, when by taking
thought we may have all three.
The commission recognizes that the cost
Of improving our inland waterways viii
be large, but far less than would be re-
CURED to relieve the congestion Of traffic
by railway extension. The benefits Of such
Improvement win be large also. and they
viii touch the daily nfe Of cur people at
every point uniting the interests Of all the
states and sections of our country. The
cost and The benefits should be equitRbly
distributed. 10y cooperation with the states
and the communities, corporations ana IN
dividuBls, benefically affected. ] heartily
concur in the commissions reoomnenda-
tion 10 this end. Such cooperation should
result in united effort in carrying out the
great duty Of improving our inland water
ways While we delay, our rivers remain
unused, our traffic is periodically con-
gested and the material wealth and natural
resources Of the country related TO water
ways are being steadily absorbed by great
monopoIies.
Power Monopoly Discussed.
Among The monePoheE as the report Of
the commission points out. there lie no other
which threatens, or has ever threatened.
such intolerable interference with the daily
life Of the people as the consolidation uf
companies controlling water power / call
your special attention to the attempt Of
the power corporations, through bills IN
troduced at the present session. TO escape
from the possibility Of government regu-
lstion in the interests Of the people. These
bills are intended TO enable the corpora
Idons to take possession in perpetuity OF
national forest lands for the purpose Of
their business where and when they
please, wholly without compensation to
the public Yet the effect Of granting
such privileges, taken together with rights
already acquired under state law, would
be to give away properties Of enormous
value Through lack Of foresight we have
formed the habit Of granting without com
pensation extremely valuable rights
amounting 10 monopoles on naviEabIe
streams and on the public domain The
repurchase at great expense Of water
rights thus cRrelessly given sway without
return has already begun in the east, and
before long viii be necessary in the west
also. No rights involving water power
should be granted 10 any corporation In
Iperpetuity, but only for a length Of time
sufficient TO allow them to conduct their
business profitably. A reasonable charge
should Of course be made for valuable
rights and privileges which they obtain
from the national government The values
for which this charge is made will ulti-
mately, through the natural growth and
orderly development Of our population and
Industries, reach enormous amounts A
fair share Of the increase should be safe
guarded for the benefit Of the people from
whose labor it springs. The proceeds thus
secured, after the cost Of administration
and Improvement has been met. should
naturally be devoted to the depeloprnent
Of our inland waterways
should BE seif-sHpportinE.
The Improvement Of our inland water
ways can and should be made 10 pay for
itsef far as practicable from The in
cidentBl proceeds from water-puwer and
other uses. Navigation should uf course
be free. Put the greatest return VIII come
from the increased commerce. growth and
prosperity Of our people For this we have
already waited too long Adequate funds
should be provided by bond issue II neuss-
ssry, and the work should be delayed no
longer. The development of our water
ways and the conservation Of our forests
are the two most pressing physical needs
Of the country. They are interdependent
and they should be met vigorously, TO-
Eether, and at once The questions Of
organization, powers, and appropriations
are now before the congress There Is
urgent need for prompt and decisive ac-
tion."