Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-14
UTILIZATION OF THE RIVERS
CONGRESS WARNED ABOUT CIV.
ING AWAY STREAM RIGHTS.
Vetoes a Bill Granting Additional
Time in Which to Build a Canal.
Announces Policy.

In a special message yesterday vetoing
d dam bill President Roosevelt warned
Congress that there are pending in this
session bills which propose to give away
without price stream rights capable Of
developing 1.30o.OO horsepower. whose
production would cost annually 25.O00,O00
tons of coal; urged in vigorous terms the
establishment of a policy such as the
filibustering minority in the House de-
mands. which would safeguard the grant
ing of bridge and dam privileges and re-
quire the grantees to pay for them, and
definitely announced a future policy or
his part with regard to prompt utilization
of construction privileges by refusing his
signature to bill giving an additional
three years to the Rainy River Improve
ment Company within which to build a
dam. in the Rainy river.
II do not believe says the eSident.
that natural resources should be grant
ed and held in an undeveloped condition
either for speculative or other reasons.
So far as I am aware there are no as
surances that the grantees lin this case)
are in any better condition promptly and
properly to utilize this opportunity than
they were at the Time of the original act
(granting the privilege. ten years ago"
The Federal Policy.
DISCUSSING DrOduiy the icueEdi poIiCH O.,
the President says:
Every permit to construct a dam on
navigable stream should specifically rec
oSnze the right of the government to
fix A term for its duration and to impose
such charge or charges As may be deem
ed necessary 10 protect the present and
future interests Of the United States in
accordance with the act of June y, 1905.
THE provision for IA charge is Of vital
Importance. The navigability OF every
inland waterway and Of all connected or
cOnnectable inland waterways as a whole
should be improved for the purposes OF
interstate and foreign commerce upon a
consistent and unified plan, by which
each part should be made TO help every
other part.
THE income dervable from this course
would materially aid in the complete i'm
provement OF our navigable waters. for
which there is now such crying need.
The chief of engineers OF the army re-
ports that the bills now pending at this
session of Congress permit the construc-
ton of dams in navigable streams capa-
BILE of developing over 1,3O.EO horse
power. These rivers run every hour In
the day and every day in the year. To
develop this amount Of power would. un-
der average conditions. require about
% 100000 tons of medium quality coal
every year This natural wealth is the
heritage of the people, / see no reason
for giving it away. though there is every
reason for not imposing conditions SO
burdensOmc as to prevent the utilization
of the power. We are now at the be-
ginning of great development in water
power. Its use through electrical trans
mission is entering more and more largely
into every element of the daily life of the
people. Already the evils of monopoly
are becoming manifest: already the eXpe.
| rience of the past shows tire necessity OF
q in, rir cd nj
this great power.
THE present policy pursued in making
| these grants is unwise in giving away tie
property of the people in the flowing wa
ters to individuals or organiza tons prac-
tically unknown and granting in perpe-
tuity these valuable privileges in advance
OF the formation of definite plans as to
their use. In some cases he grantees an
parently have little or no financial or
other ability to utilize the gift. and have
sought il merely because 1t could be had
for the asking.
The Preferred Policy.
In place OF the present haphazard pol
icy of permanently alternating valuable