Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-16
ROOSEVELT PUTS
BAN ON BIG DAM
MISS0URIANS DISAPPOINTED
BY VETO
Chief Executive, in a Characteristic
Message, Tells Why He Opposes
the James River
Project


county, Missouri, which has been the
cream of that section of the state for
many months, and which congress re-
Gently authorized, was returned to the
congress today with the presidents
veto.
The action of the president in vetoing
the measure was not unanticipated, but
mas caused considerable surprise and
hup-bub among the Missouri lobbyists
especially that portion of it who were
mere to work for the interests of the
project involved.
The president states his reason for
Veto1ng the bill in characteristic
language.
The Presidents Message
TO the House Of Representatives:
- return herewith without my approval
house Bill 177,707, to authorize William II,
Standlsh to construct a dam across James
river In Stone county, Missouri, and to di-
vert portion of its waters through a tun-
nel through the said river again to create
electrlc power. My reasons for not signing
the bill are:
The bill gives to the grantee valuable privi-
Iese Wmch by Its very nature is monopolistic
ana does not contain the conditions essential
10 protect the public interest.
President Roosevelt quotes from a.
letter he wrote on March 13, 1905, to the
senate committee on commerce, in pur-
suance of a policy declared in his mes
sage of February 26, 1908. In this let
ter the president said:
Through lack of foresight we have formed
the habit of granting, without compensation,
extremely valuable rights, amounting to
monopolies, on navigable streams, and on the
public domain.
The re-purchase, at great expense, of water
rlgnts thus carelessly given away without
return, has already begun in the east and
before long will be necessary in the west
also. No rights involving water power should
be granted to any corporation in perpetu-
ity, and only for such length of time to al
low them to conduct their business profitabIy
A reasonable charge should, of course be
mace Tor valuable rights and privileges which
they obtain from the national government.
The values for which this charge is made will
ultimately, through the natural growth and
orderly development of our population and in
dustries, reach enormous amounts
fair share Of the increase should be safe
guarded for the benefit of the people from
whose labor it springs. The proceeds thus Sc
cured, after the cost Of administration and
Improvement has been met, should naturally
be devoted to the development of our inland
waterways.
Accordingly, have decided to sign no bills
hereafter which do not provide specifically for
the right to fix and make charge and fol-
definite limitation in time of the rights con-
ferred.
The president also calls attention to
his veto message of April 49, 1908, re-
turning house bill to extend the time
for the construction of a dam across
Racine river.
An amendment to the present bill ex-
pressly authorizing the government to
fix limitation of time and impose a
charge was proposed by the war de-
partment.
The letter, veto message and amend
ment above referred to were considered
by the senate committee on commerce,
1xyf 1n
the present bill, and the proposed
amendment was characterized by the
committee as a new departure from
the policy heretofore pursued in respect
to legislation authorizing the construc-
ton of such damS.''
Their report set forth an elaborate
legal argument intended to show that
the federal government has no power
to impose any charge whatever for
such privilege.
1.-THE fact that the proposed policy is
new is in itself no sufficient argument
against its adoption. AS we are met
with conditions of industry seriously
affecting the public welfare we should
not hesitate to adopt measures for the
protection of the public merely because
those measures are new When the
public welfare is involved congress
should resolve any reasonable doubt as
to its legislative power in favor of the
people and against the seekers of a
special privilege.
my reason for believing that the
federal government, in granting a IL
cense to dam a navigable river, has the
power to impose any conditions it con-
siders necessary to protect the people,
including charge and limitation of
the time, is that its consent is legally
essential to an enterprise Of this char
acter. 1t follows congress can impose
conditions ff- ont
May Oppose Salary increase
That the senate amendments to the
legislative, executive and judicial ap-
preparation bill increasing the salary
Of the president to 100000; Of the vice
president and speaker of the house Of
representatives to $4,000 each, with
an allowance for a carriage of $4,000
each for the vice president and speaker,
are not to be approved without some
opposition was shown in the senate
today when Senator Borah of Idaho
first made a point of order against
them as new legislation and then
asked that they be allowed to lie over
until the other amendments are dis
posed Of in order that they may be dis
cussed later.
To Replace Marines
By unanimous vote the house COM
mittee on naval affairs today agreed
to recommend the placing the marines
back upon the ships in the navy, con-
trary to the action of the president
This action was taken at a meeting
Of the committee following the taking
of testimony for several days.
Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans was
the last witness heard. He approved
of the recent order of the president re-
moving the marines from the ships and
urged their organization into battal-
ions, but still to be part Of the navy.
Should Exercise Power
The president continues:
Believing that the national govern
ment has this power, am convinced
that its power ought to be exercised.
The people of the country are threat
ened by monopoly far more powerful,
because in far closer touch with the
domestic and industrial life, than any
thing known to our experience.
ITO give away, without conditions,
this, one of the greatest of our re-
sources, would be an act of folly If
we are guilty of it, our children will be
forced to pay an annual return upon
capitalization based upon the highest
prices which the traffic will bear
Information collected by the bureau
of corporations, says the president,
shows that certain large concerns Of
which the General Electric company
and the Westinghouse Electric and
Manufacturing company are the most
prominent, now own advantageous
horsepower, of which the control by
&c n.y. tool Ixy-o \