The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-01-17

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BILE to get some attorney in Podnnk, no
doubt, to give a contrary opinion. a
great brief on the proposition, which
makes the matter clear even to lay
man, is obtainable as public docu'
| ment Not having it at hand. am
sending the editor of the Republican
a copy of the brief on Hon. Henry M.
Teller, which / think any lawyer viii
| find conclusive.
Rights in the States.
The federal governments rights
stop with navigation and its conserva-
ton. It is the duty of the war de-
partment to conserve Navigation, ana
judging from departmental action In
the Keokuk case. it is doing SO TO the
full. and stretching the outlook into
the future a little.
The right to conserve wafer power
is in the state having governmental
control of the site. As to an inland
river, 1t is In one state. In the Keokuk
case, with state boundary river, it is
; in the two states of Iowa and Him
dis If anybody is to stop such pro-
jects as this Keoknk dam. the states
must do it. The United States has no
more to dc with the power and its
place in economics than your chief of
poll e has
A realization of this basic fact will
save much argument beside the mark
and much talk that is foolish
The View Of the States.
In the case Of this Keokuk dam, the
states of Iowa and Illinois, by their
legislatures, their governors, and their
congressional delegations, urged upon
congress the granting of the right to
dam the river here, with conservation
OF navigation by the war department.
Missouri. not legal party In interest
but equally benefited by the dam, did
the same thing.
With both owners and the neigh
bors not only consenting, but even
urging, the passage OF the enabling
act for the Keokuk dam, by congress,
who else has any right to complain?
The people of Maine, California and
the rest of the union? Under no cir
cumstances could they receive any of
the money exacted Of the operating
corporation, even if it were compelled
to pay oyer-to the owning two states
half its gross receipts every year.
How are they affected?
Profit and Loss.
They are affected by the enormous
quantity of cheap power reducing the
cost OF manufactured products oyer
territory as large as to be necessarily
competitive. They gain that and lose
nothing.
Any loss is to the states of Iowa
and Illinois, in this instance, as these
states would have received any royal
ties collected from the water power
company
1t can be stated fatty that the ex-
acting of any royalties would have
prevented the building of the dana
hundred prominent men know that.
Keokuk worked like Trojan, backed
by the three states, to accomplish
what many called the impossible-the
building of this big dam in this gener
alton. Keokuk considers that the
three gain much more than any pa
per loss from lack Of royalty provis.
ion. The gain to Cedar Rapids, hun
dred miles away, has been stated
above. The loss to Cedar Rapids from
lack of royalty provision is-how
much?
A Comparison That Talks.
II instead of this second largest
dam at Keokuk, there came to Cedar
Rapids proposition that the second
largest railroad in the country would
come to Cedar Rapids, build there its
main plant, pay will for all the
ground it occupied, have government
supervision to insure elevated cross
ings and every other device to prevent
interference with other traffic-what
would Cedar Rapids do?I
Would she sickle for the road to
pay part of its earnings to the state
under the Illinois Central plan? Is that
real sense? is is good policy?
The benefits to the states of Him
OILS and Iowa from the Keokuk dam
built now, are much greater than the
benefits which would come from
getting five per cent Of the net earn
ings of the company, said royalty to
be equally divided between the states
of Iowa and Illinois.
Epitomizes the Whole Question.
This Keokuk dam. the right to
build which rests on FIVE separate acts
of congress, each passed unanimously
holds an epitome Of the whole ques.
ton Of conservation OF water powers
And showing as It does the immense
local benefits, 1t seems to remove the
question from national interest. As
long as there is human nature In
| folks, the state and community get
ting the great benefits are going to
take them and tell the other states