Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-01-21
ROOSEVELT
vET0ES BILL
PRESIDENT DECLARES ELECTRIC
COMPANIES ARE FORMING
WATER POWER MONOPOLY.
SCORES ATTEMPT At GRAB
Corporations, Unless Stopped, Says
Roosevelt, VIII Tighten Grip on
Pubile-vetoes a James River
(Mo.) Dam Bill.

Washington. Jan. 16.--Taking the
James River, In Stone County, Mis-
souri,, IA his text, President Roosevelt
Friday sent to congress a message
criticising It's conduct and disclosing
what he calls the operations Of the
electric companies to obtain q mo-
nopoly OF the developed water power
Of the nation.
Describing the scheme as greater than
the oil Trust. he says: THE people OF
the country are threatened by n mo-
nopoly far more powerful because In far
closer touch with their domestic and In
dustrial life, than anything known In our
experience"
The message accompanies the Presi-
dents refusal to approve btu granting
perpetual rights 90 william II. Standlsh
20 construct n dam on the James River
and divert its waters TO create electric
power He vctoes tho bill because II
does not limit the grant TO at least nifty
years and provide that the government
shall make reasonable charge for III"
grant
such requirements. he declares, should
be made In the James River grant and
In all other water power grants TO pre-
vent the water power monopoly from
being established without any power in
the federal government to control It.
Rsopsns Fierce Flight.
Tho message reopens a night which
waged hercely between President Roose-
welt and Congress last winter. At that
time he vetoed several water power
bills for the Same reasons he gives for
The Senate Committee on Commerce
disagreed with him then and presented
n long legal argument calling the Presi.
dents policy "a new departure" and
contendlnR that the Federal Government
had no authority TO impose n charge
for water rights privileges.
Regarding the committees action the
President In his message says:
when the public welfare II involved
Congress should resolve any reasonable
doubt as to It's legislative power In
favor of the people and against the seek"
ers for n special privilege"
Describing the atcr-power monopoly
which he says threatens tho country, the
President says In part:
Information collected by the Bureau
| OF Corporations shows that eleven large
| concerns OF which tho General Electric
Company and the Westinghouse Electric
and Manufacturing Company are the most
important, now hold water-power in
stallations and advantageous power sites
aggregatlng $4,000 horsepower. where
the control OF these concerns Is practice
| ally admitted. This is over II per cent
OF the total developed water power OF
| the country.
Interests Now Intrenehed.
Further evidence OF very strong uA-
ture as to additional inter-corporate re-
/ latlons, furnished by tho bureau, leads
mo TO the conclusion that this total
| should b0 increased to "a per cent? and
still other evidence, though less conclu-
Blve, nevertheless affords reasonable
| ground for enlarging this estimate by 9
per cent additional.
I'm other words. Il is probable that
those II corporations directly or indi-
/ rectly control developed water power
and advantageous power sites equal 20
| more than n third Of all tho developed
water power In the entire country.
| This astonishing consolidation has
| taken place practically within the last
''The movement il stili in it's infancy
and unless II Is controlled the history OF
/ the oil industry will be repeated in the
hydro-electric power Industry. with re-
| suits far moro oppressive and disastrous
| for the people. II In true that the great
bulk Of our potential water power Is as
| yet undeveloped. but the sites which are
| now controlled by combinations are those
| which offer the greatest advantages and
therefore hold strategic position.
Corporations Are United.
THE great corporations are acting
| with foresight, singleness OF purpose,
and vigor 20 control the water powers OF
| the country. They pay no attention TO
state boundaries and ara not interested
In the constitutional law Affecting navi-
| gable streams except as IL affords what
has been aptly called twilight gone.
where they may ind convenient refuge
from any regulation whatever by the
public. whether through the national or
at Il slgnlhcant that they are oppos-
| ing tho control OF water power on the
DesplRines. River by the State OF Illinois
with equal vigor and with like argu-
ments to those with which they oppose
the National Government pursuing the
policy advocate.
Their attitude Is the same with refer
ence 20 their projects upon the mountain
streams OF the West, where the juris-
dletion Of the FeNeral Government as
the owner Of the public lands and ma
tionai forests IA not open TO question.
They are demanding legislation for
unconditional grants In perpotuity OF
lands for reservoirs. conduits. power
the existing statute which authorizes the
administrative offices OF the Govern
ment to impose conditions 20 protect the
public when any permit IL Issued
4. Sees Hand - Congress.
Several bills for vat puTp0ce are now
pending IN both houses. among them the
bill, s. 6s2e. 20 subject landA owned o.
ion in The state courts, and the bills
II. r. 1855 and 8. 1881. respectively. e
grant locations and rights OF way foI
sbras t sSa pSsls s ana p psssSSs
tons Of the united States.
These tiln were either drafted by
representatives OF the power companies
or arr. similar In effect TO those thu
son the other hand. the administra.
ton proposes that authority be SVEN q
isslHe power permits for a term not q
exceed dfty years. irrevocablo except fol
breach OF condition. This provision q
| prevent revocation would remove tn,
odly valid ground OF objection 20 the eci
| OF 1901. which expressly makes ali per
mita revoeable al discretion"
The Preaident'a ultimatum.
The President says he viii align ~
watcr-poWer bill which doss not contain
provisions making the grant an optioi
which must be used within a reasonaki,
time. naming an official who shall annu
the grant Il Il u not uaed In accordance
with the terms named In the law, nam
] ing an official 20 see that the person OBJ
talning the grant produce the maximum
amount % navigation ana power. spori
Tying n license charge sman at the out
set, but adjustable 70 a. 70 retain con
troll OF the water power for the public
specifying a definite time when thu gran
, | shall expire ana providing that proc
that the person holding the water righ
. 4 IN n conspiracy IN restraint OF trad
, ahnil act a. q forfeiture u his rlGhts.
Prosidont-eieck TAFT, an Secretary o
War. atrongly supported Preslden
! Roosevelt IN this policy, which was drn
outlined Las winter