Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1909-11-06

I "The amount of compensation tina
ought to be charged by the govern
ment for the use of the waterpowel
sites might perhaps be left to read
justment every 10 to Is or 20 years.
'The compensation to be charged il
the outset might well be purely nom
mai, but after the project has become
complete success and the profit has
grown to a considerable percentage OF
the amount invested, then there would
seem to be no reason why the public
might not be benefited by sharing in
the profits of the transaction to an
amount to be fixed upon arbitration
or in some other method at the end of
stated period of Is or 20 years.
"This is an arrangement toward
which the tenure of all public utilities
is tending, and / know of no reason
why it should not be introduced into
the governmental disposition of such
sources Of continuous power as the
water sites upon public lands are likely
to be.
81 know it has been the course in
the past under the bounteous and gen
erous disposition of the government
to give these water sites away under
existing inadequate acts; but we have
reached a time now when the import
ance of these waterpower sites has
greatly increased, and there would
seem to be no reason why it would in
terfere with a speedy development of
the country to impose restrictions upon
the use of such water sites equitable
as between the public and the investor
This is a matter which congress
must take up. The waterpower sites
are now generally disposed of under
the same kind of a procedure as that
by which agricultural lands are taken
up, and there is no power on the part
Of the secretary of the interior in the
disposition of such sites to impose
the conditions suggested.
This matter has become so import
ant that under the last administration
large tracts of lands amounting TO up-
ward of 100000 acres were Temporal
lily withdrawn from settlement in or
der to prevent the acquisition of water
power sites under the general land
laws.
This amount has been reduced IN
der the present administration to 49,
900 acres, which include even more
ascertained water sites than the origi-
nal Withdrawals.
1t should be understood that these
Withdrawals are temporary and can
only be justified as made in order TO
permit congress TO legislate on the
subject Of waterpoWer sites.
Should congress conclude not TO do
so, il would be difficult for the exeeu.
tive TO find the authority indefinitely
10 withhold these lands from settle
ment under the general laws on the
ground that they contain Waterpower
Sites The legislative power Is vested
n congress and not in the executive.
\ shall, therefore, urge upon con
sress, al us neat session, the passage
,f law authorizing the disposition Of
such NatefpoNer sites upon terms 10 be
agreed upon By tho secretary of the
interior with tle proposed purchaser
VI the character already Indicated
AZ may turn out that restrictions
lf thlf SORT arc 40 buldensome as A.
discourage che investment Of capital
ana A. may he accessory ~ modify the
iequlfemonis on tplf account
tuf m3 oHn impression le fhai the
demand fof water power ~ going Al
Ia ~ great chat thoae restrictions Nill
poi ploifnf ihe Investment of capital
ppi nll ulilmaiely bring ~ ihe public
epnele fefenue ffom an entirely
piofef source and Nlll seeufo t,e ~
lflpFmeni pf a punfi fol ulanufaeluF
lne Industries iAai piN probably in
iime fAetea fNp nillliy and lalQo ~
eo4l npa leoomf q sulslllui1 fQl ii.ii