The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-16

state and Foreign Commerce.
President Roosevelt sent q vigorous
veto message TO the House yesterday re-
turning, with his disapproval. bin au-
thorizing the construction Of a dam
across the James River in the state OF
Missouri for purposes OF developing cleo
trica1 power Representative Russell, Of
Missouri. viii attempt to pass the bill
over the Presidents veto. Toe message
was referred to the Committee on Inter
state and Foreign CO-merce
The bil passed the House at the last
session ana vas favo-ably considered
and passed in the Senate at this session.
The interests directly affected By the
Dill are not OF great Importance. but the
veto message emphasizes a sharp diff
ference OF opinion between the President
and Congress or the constitutional cues
ton whether the Federal government
has the right 10 assert a property in
tersst n the waters Of a nevigable
stream within a State to the extent Of
collecting tolls and imposing conditions
upon the use OF the water.
Some OF the sbIest lawyers in the Sen
ate. both Democrats ard Republicans
hold that the only authority the govern
ment has over navigable waters within
tie borders OF a State is to prevent in
terferenee with navigation.
Question of Importance.
The question is one Of such funda-
mental Importance that Congress recos-
nizes it VIII have TO be settled very soon
Last session the President vetoed 4 hill
by Senator Nelson granting q franchise
for dam across the Rainy River IN
Minnesota Later Il was passed over his
veto. but with the Presidents consent.
The message sent in yesterday joins
issue with Congress on the question Of
the extent OF Federal control over navi-
gable waters The President emphasized
the importance OF the matter BY supple-
menting his message with a report from
Herbert Knox Smith. Commissioner Of
Corporations. showing the growth OF con-
centratiOn Of electric power.
The policy Of collecting tolls and i'm
posing conditions upon grants OF the use
OF navigabIe waters within States Is a
feature OF the Presidents general policy
for conserving the natural resources Of
the country.
The Message.
The veto message, in part, IS as fol-
lows:
4 return herewith without nv ap-
p9oval House bin 17707 TO authorize VIII
IAN H Standish TO construct a dam
across the James River, in Stone Coun-
y, No. and divert a portion of its
waters through a tunnel into the said
river again TO create electric power. Nv
reasons for not signing the bin are:
The bin 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.
TO giTe away. without conditions. this.
VAo ii Tic SEtdltSt OF 0Ur resources
would be an act OF folly II we are gull
Y OF It, our children VIII be forced 10
pay an annual return upon q capttsIiza-
ton based upon the highest prices which
the traffic VIII bear They VIII find
themselves face 20 face with powerful
interests intrenched behind the doctrine
Of vested rights and strengthened bv
every defense which money can buv and
the ingenuity of able corporation LAWYERS
can devise. Long before that time thew
may and very probably viii have become
a consolidated interest, controlled from
the great financial centers, debating +ba
terms upon which the citizen can con-
duct his business or earn his livelihood
and not amenable TO the wholesome cbecl-
OF local opinion
The total water power now in use bv
power plants in the United States IS eS-
tin5ated by the Bureau OF Census ana tfa
Geological Survey as 5.3NG0 horse-
power-infornation collected by the Bu-
reau Of Corporations shows that eleven
large concerns. Of which the General F,Iee-
tric Company and the Westinghouse Elec-
tTic and Manufacturing Company are the
most important, now hold water-power
CoatiBued on Page 2, Column 2.
UoIsIu,ore md Uesu-- 81