The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-01-21
ANOTHER MESSAGE
President Vetoes a Bill and
Tells Congress Why
GREAT WATER W TRUST
Submits Figures to Illustrate the
Trust-Bin Does Not Protect Ehe
Public Interest.


dent in his message to the House Fri
day Veteing the bill passed by Con-
gress granting water power privileges
from the James river, Missouri, sub
mits figures to illustrate the work
ings of the "water power trust''
He says: I return herewith with
out my approval House bill 17707 to
authorize William 81. Standish to
construct a dam across James river,
Mo-, and divert a portion of its
waters through a tunnel into the said
river again to create electric power.
My reasons for not signing the 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
protect the public interest. My rea-
son for ~believeing that the Federal
government, In granting a license to
dam a navigatable river, has the
power to impose any conditions ii
finds necessary to protect the pub
lie, including a charge and a imita-
ton of the time, is that its consent
is legally essential to an enterprise
of this character. It follows that
Congress can impose conditions upon
its consent. Believing that the nat
ional government has this power, ]
am convinced that its power ought
to be exercised. The people of the
country are threatened by a monop-
ply far more powerful, because in far
closer touch with their domestic and
industrial life, than anything known
to our experience. To give away,
without conditions, this, one of the
greatest of our resources, would be
an act Of folly.
The total water power now In use
by power plants of the United States
is estimated bv the Bureau of the
Census at $500, 900 horse power. In
formation collected by bureau corop-
rations shows Ii large concerns of
which the General Electric Company
and Westinghouse Electric and Man
ufacturing Company, are the most
important, now hold water power in
stallations and advantageous power
sites aggregating 1,046,000 horse
power, where control by these con.
Germs practically admitted. 1t is prob
able those 13 concerns directly and
indirectly control developed water
pewer equal to more than SO pei
cent. of the total.
The following amendment to au-
thorize this In national forests was
inserted in last years agricultural
appropriation bill:
"And hereafter permits for power
plants within national forests may be
made ir~revocable, except for breach
Of condition, for such term, not ex-
ceeding fifty years, as the Secretary
Of Agriculture may by regulation
prescribe. and land covered by such
permits issued in pursuance of an
application filed before entry, loca-
ton, or application, subsequently
approved under the act of June IL,
1906, shalt in perpetuity remain sub
jeet to such permit and renewals
thereof"
1 repeat the words with which ]
concluded my message vetOing the
Rainy river bill:
First. There should be a limited
OF carefully guarded grant in the ma
ture of an option or opportunity at
forded within reasonable time for de-
velopment of plans and for execution
Of the project.
Second. Such a grant or concession
should be accompanied IN the act
making the grant by a provision ex-
pressly making it the duty of a des-
gnated official to annual the grant if
the work is not begun or plans are
not carried out in accordance with
the authority granted.
Third. It should also be the duty
of some designated official to see TO
it that in approving the plans the
minimum development of the navi-
CATION and power is assured, or at
least that in making the plans these
may not be so developed as ultimate
ly to interfere with the better utili-
cation of the water or complete de
velopment of the power.
Fourth. There should be a license
fee or charge which, though small
or rational at the outset, can in the
future be adjusted so as to secure a
coutrol in the interest of the public
Fifth. Provision should be made
for the termination of the grant OF
privilege at a definite time, leaving
to future generations the power OF
authority to renew or extend the con.
cession in accordance with the condi-
tons which may prevail at that time
Further reflection suggests a sixth
condition, viz:
The license should be forfeited up
on proof that the licensee has Joined
Lin any conspiracy or unlawful COM
binations In restraint of trade, asais
provided for grants OF coal lands I'm
Alaska by the act of Nav %, 1908.
I wall sign no bill granting a priv.
ilege Of this character which doe:
not contain the substance of these
conditions.
1 esteem it my duty to use every
endeavor to prevent this growing mo
nopoly, the most threatening which
has ever appeared. from being fast
ened upon the people of this nation.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
The White House, Jan. Is, 1909.
JET Moody Acquitted.
Bolivar, Special-Jef Moody wa