Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-11-25
A CONTENT In CONGRESS
CONTINUED from 9Th pnge.D

not watching many valuable power cites
in the mountainous West have come in
to the possession OF power companies
without any warrant of law. These com
panies it Is alleged have simply taken
possession of the power aItes and pro-
ceeded to utilize the power found there
for the transmission of electricity TO
other localities where It could be sold
to good advantage. Whether the federal
government will ever undertake to dis
possess these alleged trcspassers is n
question:: some of the men most inter-
ested in the conservation movement say
they intend TO insist that every company
that has come into possession of a pow
or site Illegally shall be made to dis
gorge.
ALL POWER ULTIMATELY FROM
WATER.
The whole subject broadly viewed
takes on added interest and Importance
in view of the fact that the prospect is
that in due time practically all the power
used in the tinted States will be OBJ
tanned primarily from the water-power
sites which are so numerous in practi-
cally every State in the Union. The ten
dency everywhere is to utilize the water
powers to generate electricity which shall
move tho world Figures recently
compiled by the government show that
there already has been a wonderful de-
veopment In the use OF Water-power
AZ already stated The total develop
ment in the country is over five million
horsepower. or about 5000 wheels. or
an average development per wheel of
about 10 horse power The greatest de-
velopment has been In the nor'j Attain
tic division Of state where, according to
the governments figures the total In
stallation is 1.46.3N3 horsepower The
only other division th1t approaches the
north Atlantic in development IL that
covering the drainage area Of the St.
Lawrence. including the Great Lakes,
where thera has been development Of
',0lS.2S3 horse power. New York state
has tho largest water-power develop
ment. the total being 49, es2 horse power.
Tho Niagara powers on the Now York
side, Of course. assist largely in making
up this figure The second state in
water-power development IL California,
the total being ACC, ~ orse-power or
more than TOO wheels. It is in this
state, according to the government Of
ficials. that the great electric companies
have made such Roadway in getting POS
session OF the water-power sites The
third State is Maine, with 3ls.oaG horse
power. or more than 2.797 wheels.
The government estimate of the num-
her % water power sites in the United
States. used and unused. IS 81 53T. These
are distributed by States rs follows:
| Alabama 1.N2. Alaska 81. Arizona "a
Arkansas 2d3. California $50, Colorado 23o
| Connecticut S93. Delaware 11s District OF
Columbia !. Florida les. Georgia LES
| Idaho 1870. Illinois 166, Indiana 200. Iowa
oo,, Kansas is Kentucky cal Louisiana
"a, Maine 100 Maryland 400. Massachu-
setts 1870, Michigan co.. Minnesota 1876
Mississippi oS2 Missouri 81, Montana a.
Nebraska 151. Nevada -. New Hampshire
/ sc. New Jers"v 5he, New siexico AZ. New
| York BIS North Carolina 26l4, North
| Dakota Q, Ohio $50. Oklahoma %. Oregon
345, Pennsylvania S.7o1. Rhode Island I9l
Tennessee 1885, Texas 147. Utah 200. Ver-
mont las, Virginia e.c&s. Washgton 1922
West Virginia -95 wisconsin $50, Wyom-
| ing Sc.
| To be sure not all OF these 81 90 water.
mower sites are on government land or
on navigable rivers. but a very large
| proportion Of them are. With SO much
| at stake II is not strange that the parties
to the controversy as to what restrictive
| Legislation there shall be are getting
! ready for a strenuous campaign.
|