The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-01-21
ROOSEVELT VETOES DEMAND
FOR RICH WATER RIGHTS
President Urges Necessity Of Conserving Natural Resources
for Which Corporations Are Grabbing.

Conserving Natural resources
I ions Are Grabbing.
n the Desplaines river by the state of
Illinois with equal vigor and with like
to those with which they op-
the policy l advocate. Their attitude is
the same with reference to their projects
upon the mountain streams of the West,
where the jurisdiction of the federal gov
eminent as the owner OF the public lands
and national forests is not open to ques-
ton. They are demanding legislation for
unconditional grants in perpetuity OF land
for reservoirs, conduits, power houses. and
transmission lines to replace the existing
statute which authorizes the administra-
tive officers of the government to impose
conditions to protect the public when any
permit is issued. Several bills for that
among them the bill s.. 662s, to subject
lands owned or held by the United States
TO condemnation in the state courts, and
the bills, Fl. r.: 1856 and s. 1861, respec.
lively. to grant locations and rights of
way for electric and other power pur-
poses through the public lands and re ser
We're either drafted by representatives OF
the power companies. or are similar III
effect to those thus drafted. On the other
hand. the administration proposes that
authority be given to issue power permits
for a term not to exceed, 80 years, ire
Nocable except for breach of condition.
This provision to prevent revocation
would remove the only valid ground of
objection to the act of 1901. which ex-
discretion. The following amendment to
authorize this in national forests was in
serted In last years agricultural appro-.
priation bill:
And hereafter permits for power plantsi
within national forests may be made irI
for such term, not exceeding IA years, as
the secretary of agriculture may by reg
ulation prescribe, and land covered by!
application filed before entry. location, orr
application. subsequently approved undeIt
the act Of June II, 1903, shall in perpetuit4
newals thereof"
A Powerful Lobby.
The representatives OF the power COM,
panies in Washington during the last ses-;
as the most favorable to their interests:
At their request frequent conferences:
were held between them and the represen-l
pose of reaching an agreement II possi-l
BILE. The companies refused to accept any-I
ina'sfe less sb than 1b a E sI;sht In ab pe=fpet noW a ima
posed by the forest service was oppres-
sive. But they made no response to the
specific proposal that the ~reasonableness
OF the charge be determined through an
investigation of their business by the bu-
'eau of corporations;
providing for irrevocable permits being
new legislation was stricken out under the
b hoa frien lales Of nP tIe a F; peant ri ilf- Gfasr i maze be
friends OF the power companies. Yet, in
the face of this record, the power com
panies complain that they are forced to
accept revocable permits by the policy OF
the administration.
The new legislation sought in their own
interest by some companies in the West,
and the opposition of other companies in
the East to proposed legislation in the
Ru eomm nnonf9 purp naxe a T S6mn' eou aesri IS a enc
rapidly growing. water-power combination.
Their purpose is a centralized monopoly
Of ali public control. 1t is obvious that a
monopoly Of power in any community
calls for strict public supervision and reg
7 will sign no bill granting a privilege of
this character which does not contain the
subsistence Of these conditions. 7 consider
executive power will allow. to do for the
people, in prevention Of monopoly of their
for themselves II they were In a position
to act; Accordingly shall insist upon the
condi lt1S,as m .;an n, aboy ye n not only In
plans for use of water power presented to
the executive departments for action. The
sanction Of congress in the general act OF
1906. regulating the construction Of dams
in nayigable waters. which authorizes the
tions az the chief Of engineers and the
secretary of wal may deem necessary to
the pae'1 tinted ed States. an ANs0'e interests Ok
1 inclose a letter from the commissioner
of corporations, setting forth the results
of his Investigations and the evidence Of
the farreaching plans and operations OF
the General Electric company, the West
pany. and other larse. concerns. for con-
solidation of the water powers Of the
country under their control. I also inclose
the memorandum of the solicitor-genera1
/ esteem ii my duty to use every e1ndeay-
most threatening which has ever appeared.
from being fastened upon the people OF
this nation.
The White House. January Is, 1909.
Smiths Figures Startling.
Washington. Jan. 19.-Accompanying the
message of the president was O letter to
him from Herbert Knox Smith. commits
sioner of corporations. containing a sum-
mary of a report on certain features OF
the concentration of the water power OF
the country. 1t was on the information
contained in this report that President
Roosevelt to a considerable extent based
his message. In brief the report shows
that quite one-third of the water power OF
| the United States has been concentrated
into the hands of a few large corporations.
including the General Electric company.
the Westinghouse company and some
other corporations which cannot be iden-
titled with either Of the first two. The
report discloses the names not only Of the
principal corporations, but OF all subsi-
diary companies identified with the princi-
pals and gives the amount OF water power
controlled by each. The total horse power
controlled by q group Of 13 selected COM
panies or interests is 1897 600. Commis-
sioner Smith points out that this 10 more
than SO per cent Of the total water power
OF the country. Furthermore says Com
missioner Smith, this percentage by no
means tells the whole truth. The forego-
ing powers naturally represent a majority
of the. best power sites. These sites are
strategic sites for large power and marked
control. Poorer sites will not generally
be developed until these strategic points
are developed to their full capacity and
should these strategic sites be coupled up
they become still more strategic.
The facts here set forth show the very.