Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1909-11-23
HEARING ON WATER POWERS.

The first meeting for hearing on
Wisconsin water power ownership,
opened at two O'Clock last Wednesday
afternoon at the Hotel Pfister. The
Evening Wisconsin said that aside
from the committee members num-
Der of men prominent in the recent
discussions on the conservation queS-
ton were present, many of them COM
ing from the northern parts of the
state TO express their views. Among
these are Neal Brown and G. d.
Jones, Wausau: John S. Owen and
Charles Macarthur, Eau Claire.
President G. r. Van Hise, Dean +.
A. Birg nd Prof.D. w. Mead, Uni
versity Oh Wisconsin,; State Forester
r. Nj. Griffith and DR.. Charles Nc
earthly, Wisconsin legislative refer
ence library, also were present. Prof.
+. A. Gilmore will attend on Thurs
day. The session probably will last
two days.
There is wide cleavage between
the opinions of those who are to
address the committee. One faction
which will be represented by Presi-
dent Van Hise, Dean Birge, Prof
Gilmore and Forester Griffith, it is
said, holds that the streams and their
water power rightfully should be the
property of the state.
The other faction, represented by
Mr.. Brown, Mr.. Jones, Prof. Mead,
Mr.. Macarthur and others, holds that
the water power of a stream is right
fully the property of the individual
owning the land surrounding the
source of the power.
81 believe chat this meeting is the
outcome of suggestions made to the |
recent Eau Claire conference that the |
supporters of both theories on the |
ownership of water powers should get |
together" said Neal Brown this |
morning. $50 far, we supporters of |
private ownership have been denied |
the inherent right of the lowest |
criminal-thai Of meeting our &C |
cusers face 10 lace.
1--WE have been fighting shadows, |
that is ali. We have been maligned |
by rubadubs. Now we would like to |
know wherein we have offended; to |
hear the charges against US"
I'VE thought we were doing the |
state favor by utilizing all that |
power, instead of letting it go to |
waste unused said Mr. Jones. "But |
the result is, instead, that we are
called robbers and grafters. They |
have lied about us shamefully. We |
have been traduced on every hand. |
We have every right to take that |
water power and conserve and develop
1t. There can be no question what
ever about the law"
Said Mr.. Macarthur. 1.-THE theor-
lists have no law or right to stand up
on. If they would go to the libraries
in Madison and read up on the law
and history of the question they
would fhnf fhau Rf1f |
they do not do that. One of the
theorists once prepared brief on the
states alleged right to water power
ownership. 1t was joke TO anyone
who knew anything about law. He
declared that if the question were
taken into court the state would get
the right TO the water power.
THE water power is as absolutely
the property of the owner Of the land
on each side of the stream as this
hotel belongs to the man who owns
tire lot it is built on.
mo one disputes the right of the
people TO the water of streams for
navigation, fishing and domestic use,
but that the state could gain the
fourth right-to the water power-if
the question were brought to court,
Is only the unsupported allegation of
one man.
Just because man must now get
permission from the state legislature
TO build a dam or bridge across a
logging stream, the theorists hold
that the state must therefore own
the stream
Senator III. +. Bird. WauSaukee, is
chairman of the special committee,
and ASsemblyman George 7. Ham
brecht, Grand Rapids, is its secretary.
Its members are Senators Paul o.
Husting Mayyille, and Henry Krum-
rey, Plymouth, ASSemblymen William
Nj. Bray, Oshkosh: +. w. Kubasta,
Merrill, and James Z. Thomas, Wau-