The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-01-22
PRESIDENT DECLARES ELECTRIC
COMPANIES ARE FORMING
WATER POWER MONOPOLY.
SCORES ATTEMPT At GRAB
Corporations, Unless Stopped, Says
Roosevelt, VIII Tighten Grip on
Publie--Vetoes a James River
(Mo.) Dam Bill.

James River. In Stone County. Mis-.
souri,, as his text President Roosevelt
Friday sent to congress message
crlticising Its conduct and disclosing
what he calls the operations OF the
electric companies to obtain mo.
nopoly OF the developed water power
OF the nation.
Describing tho scheme as greater than
the oil Trust. he says: 1.-THE people Of
| tho country arc threatened by mo-
nupoly far more powerful. because In far
| closer touch with their domestic and In
dustrlal life, than anything known In our
| experience"
The message accompanies tho Presi-
dents refusal TO approve n bill granting
perpetual rights to william H. Standish
TO construct dam on the James River
and divert Its waters to create electric
power. Ho vCtoos the bill because IL
does not limit the grant TO at least fifty
years and provide that the government
shall make reasonable charge for the
grant.
Such requirements, he declares. should
be made I'm the James River grant and
In all other water power grants TO pre-
vent tho water power monopoly from
being established without any power III
the federal government 10 control II.
ReSpens Fierce Fight.
The message rcopcns night which
wngod ferccly between President Roose-
Welt and Congress last winter. At that
timo he vetoed several water power
bills for the same reasons he gives for
his present action.
The Senate Committee on Commerce
disagreed with him then and presented
a long legal argument calling the l'resi.
dents policy "a new departure" and
contending that the Federal Government
had no authority to Impose charge
FOR water rights privileges.
Regarding the committees action tho
President In his message says:
when the public welfare II Involved
Congress should resolve any reasonable
doubt as to its legislative power In
favor Of the people and against the seek
ers for n special privilege"
Describing tho water power monopoly
which he says threatens the country, tho
President says In part;
Information collected by the Bureau
6f Corporations shows that eleven large
concerns. OF which the General Electric
Company and the Westinghouse Electric
ana Manufacturing Company are the most
important. now hold watcr-pOwor in
stallations and advantageous power sites
nsgrcgntlng $50 horsepower. whore
the control OF these concerns Is practic-
ally admitted. This IN over II per cent
u the total developed water power Of
the country.
interests Now Intrenehed.
Further evidence Of very strong ma
tuN as to additional inter-corporate re-
lations. furnished by the bureau leads
me to the conclusion that this total
should be increased to "a per cent; and
Btlll other evidence. though less conciu-
sivc. nevertheless affords reasonable
ground for enlurging this estimate by Q
per cent additional
In other words. II Ia probable that
these II corporations directly or indi-
rcctly control developed water power
and advantageous power sites equal TO
"a ~ all ia dayninngn
water power In the entire country.
This astonishing consolidation hns
taken place practically within the last
fiyo years
THE movement IL stlll in its infancy
and unless It Is controlled the history ~
the oil industry will be repeated I'm the
hydro electric power industry. with re-
suits far more oppressive and disastrous
for the people. II Is 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 ofrer the greatest advantages and |
therefore hold n strategic position,
Corporations Are United.
THE great corporations are acting |
with foresight. singleness of purpose, |
and vlEor TO control the water powers of |
the country. They pay no attention To |
state boundaries and are not Interested |
in the constitutional law affecting nayi- |
gable streams except as II AFFORDS what |
has been aptly called twilight zone |
whore they may ind q convenient refuge |
from any regulation whatever by the |
public. whether through the national or |
state governments
''It is significant that they are oppos-
ing the control OF water power on the |
Dcsplaincs River by the State Of Illinois |
with equal vigor and with like argu- |
ments to those with which they oppose |
the National Government pursuing tho |
policy l advocate.
'Their attitude is tho same with refer
cnce to their projects upon the mountain |
streams OF the West where the jurls- |
the owner of tho public lands md ma
tional forests In not open to question.
They are. demanding legislation for |
unconditional grants in perpetuity OF |
lands for reservoirs. conduits. power |
houses and transmission lines to replace |
the existing statute which authorizes tho |
administrative Offices OF tho Govern |
ment TO impose conditions TO protect the |
public when any permit IL issued.
Sees Hand In Congress.
Several bills for that purpose are now |
pending In both houses. among them the |
bill 8 GS26, to subject lands owned or |
held by the United States to condemna- |
ton In the state courts. and the bills, |
H. X 1896 and s. 1861. respectively. to |
grant locations and rights OF way for |
electric and other power purposes |
through the public lands and reserva-
lions of the United States.
These bills were either drafted by |
representatives OF tho power companies. |
or are similar in effect to those thus |
drafted.
ION the other hand. the rdministra- |
ton proposes that authority be given to |
issue power permits for n term not TO |
exceed fifty years. Irravocablc except for |
breach OF condition. This provision to |
prevent revocation would remove the |
only valid ground of objection to the act |
OF 1901. which expressly makes all per- |
mits revocable ut discretion" |
The Presidents ultinratun. |
The President says he will sign no |
wnter-power bin which does not contain
provisions making the grant an option |
which must be used within n reasonable |
time, naming an official who shall annul |
the grant II It Is not used In accordance |
with the terms named In the law, nam
ing an official to see that tho person oh |
tanning the grant produce tho maximum
amount OF navigation and power speci. |
flying license charge small at the OUT
set. but adjustable 40 ms to retain con-
troll OF the water power for the public,
specifying definite time when the grant
shall expire and providing that pronf
that the person holding the water right
Ia In n conspiracy In restraint of trade
shall act as n forfeiture OF HIS rights.
President elect Taft. as Secretary OF
L. go