The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1909-01-21

THE GisT OF ii.

pose and yigor to control the water
powers Of the country. Thirteen \
concerns directly or Indirectly con- =
troll developed water power and adj
vantageous power sites equal to q
more than 50 per cent Of the total Z
water power now In use. This as =
tonishing consolidation has taken =
place practically within the last 4
five years. \
To give away, without conditions, =
this, one OF the greatest Of our re- Z
sources. would be an act OF folly. II 4
we we, are ar ,e guilfy = Of i, ! our sn children zen {
turn upon a. capitalization based y
upon the highest prices which the I
traffic will bear.
esteem It my duty to use every
endeavor to prevent this growing \
monopoly, the most threatening
which has ever appeared, from be- =
ing fastened upon the people of this
nation. =
Washington. d. c., Jan. 19.-Presi-
dent Roosevelt sent q special message
to the House with his veto Of the bill
providing for the construction of a dam
across the James river, in Stone
lty,! Mo. the purpose Of the dam being
ito get water to create electric power.
He declared that the movement to Sc
cure control Of h water power of the
country is still In its infancy, but unless
1t is controlled the history Of the oil
industry will! be repeated in the hydro
electric power industry, with results far
moro oppressive and disastrous.
1T is true" he added. that the
great bulk Of OUR potential water pow
er is as yet u~ndeveloped, but the sites
which are now controlled by combina-
tons are those which offer the great
est advantages and therefore hold a
Strategic pOSition.D
He says the bill gives to the grantee
a valuable privilege which by it's very
nature is monopolistic and does not
contain the conditions essential to pro-
tect the public interest.
The message was received indiffer-
entity. After its reading it was re-
ferred to the committee on Interstate
n foreign commerce.
The Message.
The message in part is as follows:
To the House of Representatives:
House bill 17707 to authorize William II.
Standtsh to- construct a dam across
James river. in Stone county, Mo. and
tunnel into the said river again to Gre
ate electric power My reasons for not
privilege, Which by Its very nature is
m%onopolistic. and does not contain the
conditions essential to protect the pub
The people of the country are threat
'ened by q monopoly far more powerful,
domestic and Industrial life, than any
thing known to our experience. A single
generation will see the exhaustion of our
natural of oil and gas and such
a rise in the price of coal as will make
the price Of electrically transmitted wa
ter power q controlling factor in trans
household lighting ana heating. ouI
water alone, If fully developed and
wisely used. is probably sufficient for gu,
ipal and domestic needs. Most OF 1t is
undeyeloped and is still in national OF
state control.
Act of Folly.
To give away, without conditions, this
one of the greatest of our resources
would be an act of folly. If we are gull
ty of 1t, our children will be forced to pay
an annual return upon a capitalizatior
traffic win bear. They will find them.
ests intrenched behind the doctrine OF
vested rights and strengthened by
every defense which money can buy ans
can devise. Long, before that time they
may and very probably will have become
the great financial %centers. debating tn
terms upon which the citizen can conduct
his business or earn his. livelihood, ant
not amenable TO the wholesome check o.
local opinion.
The total water power now in use by
power plants in he United States is es
timated by the bureau of census and thu
geological survey as 100000 horse power
Information contained by the bureau o
eorporations shows thu - larg Es,es con on,
company and the Westinghouse Eieetri,
& Manufacturing e9mpan are the mos
gregating about 1,O46,W0 horse powe
where the control of these concerns I
equal to over 10 per cent of the total nov
in use. Further evidence of a very stroni
nature as to additional intercorporale re
lations furnished by the bureau, leads M
to the conclusion that this total shpul'
be increased to "a per cent. and still othe
evidence. though less conclusive never
larging this estimate by nine per cen
additional. In other words. 1T is probabl
that these 10 concerns directly or indi
advantageous power sites equal to NOR
than 80 per cent Of the total water poWe
now In use.
Worse Than Oil.
This astonishing consolidation has TAX
en- place practically within the last fly
years. The movement is still IN Its IN
fhaI 5foy,v and M tS bnle oII Il ind is e9ns Wiii Be- f n
peated in the hydro-electric power indus
try, with results far more oppressive an
a chs greas f bulk the Of pe opr potential i lI aIas w she
power is as yet undeveloped, but the site
which are now controlled by combine
l IONS are LNOSc WHICH yOilel IN 6iSatNs
advantages, and therefore hold a stratt
gic position. This is certain to b
strengthened by the increasing deman
for power and the extension of long di!
lance electrical transmission.
1t is, in my opinion, relatively unimpor
ant for us to know whether or not tn
promoters Of this particular project al
affiliated with any of these great corpora
tions. IL we make an unconditional graz
to this grantee. our control over 1t cease
He, or any purchaser from him, will !
free to sell his rights to any one of the
at pleasure. The time to attach cond
lions and prevent monopoly is when
grant is made.
Act With Visor.
The great corporations are acting wit
foresight, singleness of purpose and Wig
to control the water powers OF the coul
try. They pay no attention to stats boul
daries and are not interested in the co
stitutional law affecting navlgab
streams except as 1t affords what HI
been aptly called a twilight zone whe
they may find a convenient refuge fro