The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-01-16
He DRAWS ALINE.
President Roosevelt VetOeS Bill
Granting Water Rights
And Sets Forth the Reasons Tor
His Dis6pprOval.
WILL SIGN NO MORE
Measures Giving Away Part OF
Public Domain
Unless Grant Is Subject to Re-
strictiOns and Paid For.

Washington, Jan. 16-President Roose-
welt yesterday scent to congress a spe-
cial message vetoing a bill for the con-
struction of a dam across the James
river, Missouri.
The message in part follows:
ITO the House of Representatives: l
return herewith without my approval
house bill 17707 to authorize William n.
Standish to construct dam across the
James river, in Stone county, missouri
and divert a portion of its waters
through a tunnel into the said river
again, to create electric power. MY
reasons for not signing the bill are:
THE bill gives to the grantee val
liable privilege, which by its very ma
ture is monopolistic and does not con-
tain the conditions essential to protect
the public interest
President Roosevelt quotes from a
letter he wrote on March 13. 1908, to
the senate committee on commerce In
pursuance of a policy declared in ms
message of February &c, 1908. In this
letter the president said
Through lack Of foresight We have
formed the habit of granting with
out compensation extremely valuable
rights, amounting to monopoleS, on
navigable streams and On the public
domain. The re-purchaSe at great ex-
pense of water rights thus carelessIy
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 perpett-
uity, but only for a length Of time, SUI
fcient to allow them to conduct their
business prof1tably. A reason
able charge should of course
be made for valuable rights
and privilea1s which they obtain from
the national government. The values
for which this charge is made will ul-
mately, through the natural growth
and orderly development of our popu-
lation and industries, reach enormous
amounts. A fair share of the increase
should be safeguarded for the benefit of
the people from whose labor its springs.
The proceeds thus secured. after. the
cost Of administration and improve
ment has been met, should naturally |
be devoted to the development of our
inland waterways.
He Draws the Line.
Accordingly I have decided to sign
no bills hereafter which do not provide |
specifically for the right to fix and
make a charge and for definite nml-
tation in time of the rights conferred.
The president also calls attention TO
his veto message of April IS, 1908, re-
turning house bill to extend the time |
for the construction of a dam across
Rainy river as follows:
IAN amendment to the present bill |
expressly authorizing the government
20 fix a limitation of time and impose
4 charge was proposed by the war
1epa rtment.
''The letter, veto message, and
amendment above referred to were
considered by the senate committee on
as appears by the commit
.ee's report on the present bill, and the |
amendment was character
zed by the committee as a new de-
oarture from the policy heretofore
pursued in respect to legislation au-
.horizing the construction of such |
Jams
'"Their report sets forth an elabor-
ate argument intended to show that |
he federal government has no power
o impose any charge whatever for
such privilege.
1.-The fact that the proposed policy |
s new is in itself no sufficient argu- |
nent against its adoption. AS we are
net with new conditions of industry