The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-02-07

Government Regulation Of Them consid
cred.

cred.
The general legislative status Of water
powers and their relation 20 public utilt
lity are discussed In a report just issued
By the United States geological survey a.
Water-Supply Paper 29s- The authors
are NJ. Rene Tavernier, chief engineer o.
! the department 81 public works, republic
Of France. and Mr. n. @ Leighton, chief
i photographer, United States geological
survey. The report is timely, for water
power development and its governmental
/ regulation are now the subject Of tech,
meal and popular discussion and have
acquired q wider interest by reason o.
the presidents recommendations relative
to water-power sites on the public lands
Comparison Of American and Foreign
Practice.
The principal object Of the paper Is %
show how the French and Swiss republics
and the kingdom Of Italy are treating
this problem in their political economy
and 70 afford a means Of comparing the
I foreign practice with the procedure fol.
lowed in this country. II Il the opinion
+ Of the American author that n the ad
/ instment Of eur water-power problems II
win be wise to observe the nature and
drift Of measures adopted By older eoun-
tries. watch were iong ago obliged 70
consider the same questions that the peo.
/ pie 81 the United States are facing AZ
present. The Paper shows that water
power Is q public utility and that inc
political and economic problems 10 which
I = L.. r.s,.ar sfss ha.fa .saa,s~s taaTfss a
nRturitygwithin ZEN years. IN this eoun-
try the publicutility feature has been
/ hardly perceived and in consequence the
| legislative consideration Of the question
ir concerned vita a mature condition
French, Italian and Swiss Legislation.
N. Taverniers contributions consist
first, Of discussion Of hydrsulic power
and TIA relation to irrigation, in which
Il y shown tibet there Is or should be
no necessary conflict in the use Of voter
IN the two utilities but rather that
water power development ii arid regions
goes along With and becomes part of irri.
cation development: second, d = discus.
sion Of French, Italian and Swiss ieglsla-
ton relative to tie development Of water
powers. which reviews the legislative
practices and their effect On wster power
development Asnpie quotations are
made from laws either enacted 81 pro
posed ia the three countries.
Summary Of the European View.
The gist Of the whole matter. 50 far
as European Interpretation X concerned,
Ii summed UP III a statement II q proela-
nation 81 the director Of public works 81
the Canton Of Bernie Switzerland which
is quoted by NJ Taxernier, as foliowss
1T is the eommunss on whieh the hw
imposes the obligation Of establishing
and maintaining bikes and dams--she
people who for years and oenturies have
had to bear the expense q maintaining
the banks and protection works without
taking into consideration the great dam
age TO which they are often subject on
account Of inunda tions-who should
profit by the wealth that lies IN the Htili-
gation 81 water powers Il Il
thus our purpose 70 have the country
itself profit ~ the water powers To-
Gated"
A Menace TO Our Industrial Leadership.
Mr. Leighton points ont the fact that
our present unpfeparedness to meet the
new questions involved in power develop
mant creates some disadvantages that
are not altogether internal. IN Europe
water.power development has become q
national policy which cannot fail to At.
tract great industries To the countries in
which IL IS property managed There is
menace to American industrial leader
tss=
sites Of Europe are close To the great
markets Of the world Trade and pro.
duction are entirely cosmopolitan, No
one can he 80 confident of this eonutrY's
industrial leadership d 70 assert chat the
wholesale development 81 large and cheap
European water powers win not sefious.
~ affect our commercial welfare.
Review Of Laws in the United States.
United States laws that relate either
closely OF remotely 10 water powers are
discussed ara quoted extensively ANA
legal and iudicial opinions are either
cited or quoted IN full. The statutes and
regulations governing power development
III the national forests are also given
The waterpower laws Of PENNSYLVANIA
and New York are summarized. and the
situation b several western states which
have enacted water laws is discussed
Extensive quotations are made from the
water law and the water-power law re-
Gently passed in Oregon which are cited
as typical Of other western laws.
The paper presents general survey
Of the situation in is most import III
aspects and IS valuable contribution
To the current diseussionfof the subject
a copy may Re obtained free BY applying
to the director 81 the survey a Wash
ington.