Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-26
BeaH1an Opposes
Pinchot's Ideas

Under the heading 1.-THE Fallacy of
Pinchot's Alarm as to the Water Pow.
er Monopoly" D. G. Beaman Of Den
yer, chief counsel for the Colorado
Fuel and Iron company, who formerly
lived in Ottumwa, contributed the fol-
lowing article to the Denver News:
The latest and loudest alarm sound
ed by Mr. Pinchot is the danger of
water power monopoly. According 10
the news report of his address at Spo-
kone this week, he there said:
There could be no better illustra-
ton OF the eager, rapid, unwearied
absorption by capital Of the rights
which belong to all the people than
the water trust not yet formed, but in
rapid process Of formation
He also said:
81 believe could point out one gen
ial urbane gentleman, an attorney for
the interests, who is here now"
THIS coming monopoly he foresaw
and referred to in his Red Book, en-
titled "The Use of the National For
est" issued in 1907
Last March he delivered an address
in Denver and nc monopoly was then
rapidly forming, the air being, to his
vision, full of cloudc heavily charged
with water and electric power, and
the deluge of disaster was about to
commence. In his Spokane address,
he however, admits that 1t is not yet
formed, but surely is going to be right
away.
So this "rapid" octopus has been
fooling away more than two years do
ing nothing: The worst reflection on
these monopolies Is that they have
been so inexcusably slow in getting
ready to monopolize.
But let us see If the thing Is FEAST
BILE as a practical matter
Take the Central Colorado Power
company's operations on the Grand
river near Glenwood Springs, as an il
lustration.
1t has, and must necessarily have,
so long as it is the first and uppermost
plant on the stream, an immense res
ervoir to keep up it's water supply.
This reservoir Is in national forest,
and the forest service is endeavoring
to make the company sign a contract
compelling an annual payment of a
large sum, not for the USE of the
Of the water" as Mr.. Pinchot desig-
mates it, since the decision of the
Kansas Colorado case by the United
States supreme court, that the state,
and not the government, controls the
water. The Central company's attor-
neys, l understand, have not yet been
able to discover the distinction In
deed, so far as is known, no one but
Mr.. Pinchot has been able to do so,
and he even lad not discovered 1t in
1907, when he issued his Red Book,
for in that he says in one place "the
charges are not made for the water,
but for the conservation of water" In
another place in the same book he
says, "The conservation which means
simply the wise USE of all the var
ious resources of the forest, especial
ly the water, means great gain In dol
lars and cents etc.
He seems to have gotten his wires
crossed little, but that doesn't bother
him-never.
1t was Job, believe, who said, ooh
that mine adversary had written a
book"
But to return to the subject of wat
er power monopoly. Any other water
power company can go down the
Grand river below the Central COM
pany's plant, six miles, or such dis
lance as will give sufficient fall, and
establish another power plant on priv
ate land. With pipe line, Or other
conduit, starting just below the Cen
trail company's ground, and outside
the forest reserve, the water can be
carried down to the lower plant, gain
ing such an elevation as may be re-
quired to furnish the needed power,
and there used
All the expense incurred will be that
for its conduit, the right of way over
private land along the valley, and the
erection of plant and transmission
lines. The reservoir of the Central
company becomes in actual effect that
Of the lower company, for so long as
the upper one operates, it's escape
water supplies the lower one, the lat
ter needing no reservoir.
The only danger Of scarcity of
water at the lower plant is in case the
upper one should for any reason shut
down for short time, and there
should be no waste gate open or water
going over the dam, a condition not
likely to occur and the causing Of
which would be unlawful.
The lower plant Is thus entirely re-
lieved of the expense Of dam and
reservoir, which in the Central COM
pany's case, and most others, involves
sum running into millions; it is al
SO relieved of the forest tax, (if Mr..
Pinchot finally succeeds in fastening
1t upon the power companies located
in the forest), and hence can produce
and sell power cheapest, there being
no law or principle by which the upper
plant can, either charge the lower one
for the water. or prevent its flowing
down.
Any number Of lower plants can
thus be built and operated cheaper
than the upper one, as they do not
require any peculiar conditions for
waite. basin or dam-site, as they want
neither
So that it would seem practical
| impossibility to monopolize the water
| ,,or,o,. ubora tho docoppf IF cfraarnc (.