The Springfield herald., 1909-01-22
WATER POWER
BILL IS VETOED
PRESIDENT DECLARES AGAINST
GIVING AWAY VALUABLE
PUBLIC PROPERTY.
MISSOURI DAM GRANT
NEW CONDITIONS DEMAND NEW
POLICY TO PROTECT THE
PEOPLE,.

Washington-The President Friday
sent message to Congress vetoing
bill for the construction OF a dam
across the James river in Missouri for
the purpose of diverting portion OF
its waters through tunnel for the
creation of electric power.
He says he vetoes the bill because
it gives the grantee valuable prlVi-
lege which in its very nature Is mon
opolistic and does not contain the con-
ditions essential to protect the public
interest"
With the message is enclosed let
ter from the commissioner of corpora
tions giving data on the concentration
of water power throughout the coun-
try, showing that fully one-third OF 1t
is now in the hands of a few large cor
porations, which is the chief reason
for the veto.
The following is synopsis OF the
special veto message of President
Roosevelt:
Il return herewith without my ap-
proval House Bill 17707 to authorize
William H. Standish to construct
dam across James river. in Stone coun-
ty, Missouri, and divert portion OF
its waters through tunnel into the
said river again. to create electric
power. My reasons for not signing tbs
bill are:
"The bill gives to the grantee a
valuable privilege which by its very
nature is monopolistic, and does not
contain the conditions essential to pro-
tect the public interest"
President Roosevelt quotes from
letter he wrote March 13, 1908 tC the
Senate committee on commerce in pur-
suance of policy declared in his
message OF February 26. 1908. In this
letter the President said:
Through lack of foresight we have
formed the habit of granting without
compensation extremely valuable
rights, amounting to monopolies. on
navigable streams and on the public
domain.
The re-purchase, at great expense.
of water rights thus carelessly given
away without return, has already be-
gun in the East, and before long will
be necessary in the West also. No
rights involving water power should
be granted to any corporation in per-
petuity, but only for length of time
sufficient to allow them to conduct
their business profitably. A reason
able charge should, of course. be made
for valuable rights and privileges
uhich they obtain from the national
government. 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 safesuarded for the benefit
of the people from whose labor it
springs"
The President also calls attention to
his veto message of April 13. 1908. re-
turning a House bill to extend the
time for a construction of a dam
across Rainy river.
An amendment to the present bill
expressly authorizing the government
to fix a Limitation of time and impose
charge was proposed by the War
Department. The letter, veto message
and amendment above referred to
were considered by the Senate COM
mittee on commerce, as appears by
tue tohilhiltcts Iepoll vi lHe pIeSeHl
bill and the proposed amendment was
characterized by the committee as a
new departure from the policy here
tofore pursued in respect to legisla-
tion authorizing the construction of
such dams Their report set forth an
elaborate legal argument intended to
show that the federal government has
no power to impose any charge what
ever for such privilege.
THE fact that the proposed policy
is new is in itself no sufficient argI-
ment against its adoption. AS we are
met with new conditions of industry,
seriously affecting the public welfare,
we should not hesitate to adopt meas
ures for the protection of the public
merely because these measures are
new. When the public welfare is in
volved, Congress should resolve any
reasonable doubt as to it's legislative
power in favor of the people and
against the seekers for special privi.
lege.
My reason for believing that the
federal government, in granting a IL
cense to dam a navigable river, has
the power to improve any conditions
it finds necessary to protect the pub
lie, including n charge and a limita-
ton of the time, is that its consent is
legally essential to an enterprise of
this character. 1t follows that Con
gress can impose conditions upon its
consent"