Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-01-21
A STARTLING
STATEMENT
TAXES AND CONTROL OF WATER
POWERS IN THE STATE
OVERLOOKED.
ENORMOUS AMOUNT LOST
Can the State Save or Has II Lost
Vast Sums That Cannot Be Recov-
ered?-Is There Something Left?

IF the legislature of the state or
Michigan had taken proper cognizance
OF the value of the water power OF the
state, and had provided for it's control
by the state on a rental basis, the peo-
pie OF Michigan would presently be so
fortunate as not to have to pay a
cent of state taxes for any purpose
This startling statement was made
by one of the government hydrologists
who have been looking up the water
power sources of the country for the
president. This official has examined
the streams of Michigan and speaks
from expert knowledge. The Au Sable
river alone, he added, was worth a
billion dollars, and would capitalize at
that figure as soon as all the power
of the stream was developed.
"But," said he, II am afraid il is
now too late for the state to act In
regard to some of the most valuable
properties in Michigan. AT this very
moment, although it is in the dead Of
winter, ! am informed that 40 en-
gineers are working desperately to
conclude the survey of the Au Sable
river, and that they have it all done
except that portion lying in Crawford
county, where they are now working.
THE Au Sable runs through four
counties, and | believe the interests
employing the 40 engineers have al
ready secured control of the best
power sites in three Of them, that is
to say, in Iosco, Altoona and Oscoda.
AT any rate, | understood that the
supervisors of those counties were to
meet for the purpose of making a
grant of the power to those interests,
and that this action was to take place
during the first week in January. And
| believe it to be the fact that in
Michigan, when the supervisors have
taken this action, there is no appeal.
/ understand that the Michigan SUI
preme court has so held. If this Is the
case, ] greatly fear the mischief has
been done SO far as the Au Sable is
concerned, or at least the better por-
tion of that river.
But think what this means. Thirty
or 40 countrymen, sitting as a board
of supervisors, have the authority 10
give away for nothing a billion dol
lars worth of property of the state,
from which the state ought in time
to have collected not less than $4,000
900 annually in taxes Thirty or 40
country supervisors give away a
stream capable of developing mil
lion horsepower, equal TO all the horses
in the state, or that the state would
support. And this million horsepower
can be capitalized at $1,000, 900
and the supervisors have by now prob
ably given away large part of it for
nothing.
This, of course, refers only to the
one stream. But that one stream IL
Illustrates the situation for the whole
state admirably. The Au Sable rises
on the great plateau of northern Mich
igan, LOO feet above the sea, and it
flows in a meandering course for 200
miles TO Lake Huron. It's course is so
swift that dams may be built only a
short distance apart, and in many
places its banks are so high that the
power company will have TO pay moth
ing in damages for lands overlooked.
Besides this river fiuctuates not more
than Is inches in q year in the hight
of water. making it one of the very
best water power propositions in the
world