The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-08-29

the state alone had power 10 act i
have done all ! could to get Tito net
In theTmost advanced manner. and
where tho nation could act u have
done all ] could 10 get national action
in the same direction.
Unfortunately in the east we have in
this matter paid the penalty OF not
having our forest land under national
control, aud the penalty has been Sc
we're. Most Of the states, although
they are old states, haze not protected
their forests, each failing to act by
itself, because the action was really
the common concern Of all, aud where
action is the common concern Of all
experience has shown that 1t can only
be probably undertaken by the M.
tional government.
As result Of the impossibility Of
getting such wise action BY the sew.
eral state governments In the east we
are doing our best to get national leg.
islation under which the national GOV.
eminent, at the expense of millions Of
dollars, shall undertake to do as re.
CARDS the Appalachians and White
mountains Of the east what 1t Is now
doing in the Rocky mountains here
out west.
Water Power.
Take the question of the control OF
the water power sites. The enormous
Importance of water power sites to
the future industrial development Of
this country has only been realized
within very few years. Unfortunate
ly the realization has come too late as
regards many of the power sites, but
many yet remain with which our
hands are free to deal. We should
make 1t our duty to see that hereafter
the power sites are kept under the con-
troll of the general government. for the
use of the people as whole.
The fee should remain with the pco.
pie rs whole, while the use is leased
on terms which shall secure an ample
reward to the lessees, which shall en-.
courage the development and use OF
the water power, but which shall not
create a permanent monopoly or per.
nit the development to be anti.social,
to be in any respect hostile to the pub
lie good.
The nation alone has the power to
do this effectively. and 1t is for this
reason that you will find those corpo-
rations which wish to gain improper
advantage and to be freed from effl-
cient control on the part of the public
doing all that they can to secure the
substitution of state for national nc
ton. 81 s4
There is something fairly comic in
the appeal made by many of these
men In favor. Of state control when
you realize that the great corporations
seeking the privileges Of developing
the water power In any given state are
at least as apt to be owned outside
that state rs withinoit. In this coun-
try nowadays capital has national
and not u state use.
The great corporations which are
managed and largely owned in the
older states are those which are most
In evidence in developing and using
the mines and water powers and for.
csts Of the new territories and the new
states from Alaska to Arizona.
l have been genuinely amused dur.
Ing the past two months at having ar.
guments presented to me on behalf Of
certain rich men from New York and
Ohio, for instance, us to why Colorado
and other Rocky mountain states
should manage their own water power
sites. Now. these men may be good
citizens according to their lights, but
naturally enough their special interest
obscurcs their sense of the public need.
and as their object is to escape an GILL;
cient control, exercised In the interest
Of all the people Of the country, they
clamor to be put under the state in
stead of under the nation.
II we are foolish enough to grant
their requests We shall have ourselves
to blame when we wake up to find that
We have permitted another privilege
to intrcnch itself and another portion
Of what Should be Kept for the public
good to be turned over to individuals
for purposes of private enrichment.
During the last session of congress
bills were introduced to transfer the
water power sites In the national for
ests and the public domain to the con-
troll of the states. l cannot state, too
strongly my belief that these measures
are uuwise and that 1t would he disas.
trous TO enact them Into law.
In substance their effect would be to
free. these great special interests from
all effective control. The passage of
such bill would be Il victory OF the
special interests over the general wei,
fare and n long backward step down
the hill of progress we have of late
been climbing.
Coal Lands.
The same principle applies with pc.
culiar force to the coal lands, and es.
pecially to the coal lands In Alaska.
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