The Forrest City times., 1910-09-09

De incidentally developed, but no grant can pc made under this statute to con cerns whose primary purpose Is gener- atlng and handling electricity The stat ute or lsol authorizes the secretary of me Interior to issue revocabie permits over the public lands to electrical power companies, but this statute is woefully in- adequate because it does not authorize the collection of charge or fix a term or years. Capital Is slow to Invest in an enterprise founded on permit revocabls at will.
 It is the plain duty of the government to see to II that Tn the utilization and de- Setopment of all this immense amount or water power. conditions shall be im- posed that will prevent monopoly and VIII prevent extortienate charges, which are the accompaniment of monopoly. The u.neui.y or adjusting the matter is ae- centuated by the relation of the power sites 10 the water. the fall and flow of whlch create the power. In the states "heIe these sites are, the riparian own ooes net control own the power in ', .ne water which flows past his land | hat power Is under the control and with Tn the grant of the state and generally M .ne rue Is that the first water user is an utied to the enjoyment Now the DOS session or the bank or water-power site oNer which the water Is te be conveyed III oraer to make the power useful, gives .e us owner an advantage and a certain nino or control over the use of ths water power, and It Is proposed that the govern Heht Tn dealing with it's own lands should use this advantage and lease lands for power sites to those who would develop the power and Impose conditions on the ieasehold with reference to the reason ahieness of the rates at which the power when transmitted is to be furnished to the public. and forbidding the union of tytf bl tt.xvz or others made for the purpose of inonop- oly by forbidding assignment of the lease save by consent of the government. Serious difficulties are anticipated by some in such an attempt on the part of the general government, because of the sovereign control of the state over the water power in It's natural condition, and the mere proprietership of the govern ruent in the riparian lands. It is con tended that through its mere proprietary right in the site. the central government has no power to attempt to exercise po- lice Jurisdiction with reference to how the water power in . river owned and controlled by the state shall be used, and that 1t Is a violation of the states rights. I question the validity of this objection. The government may impose any condi- tons that 1t chooses in It's lease of its own property. even though it may have the same purpose, and in effect accom-
 
 plish by tho exercise of its sovereignty. There are those (and the director of the geological survey MT. Smith, who has given a great Asal of attention ts this matter. is one of them) who insist that this matter of transmitting water power Into electricity, which can be conveyed all over the country and across state hnes is a matter that ought to be re- tained by the general government. and that # should avail itself of the swnsr- ship of these power sites for sas ssss purpose of eo-ordinatins in one general slam the power generated from these government owned sites.
 Arguments AgaInst Idea.
 On the other hand. 1t is contended that 1t would relieve complicated situation If the control of the water-power site and the control of the water were vested in the same sovereignty and ownership, viz. the states. ana then were disposed of for development ts private lessses un- der the restrictions needed to pressrve the interests of the public from tho extor- tions and abuses of monopoly. Therefore, bills have been introduced in congress providing that whenever tho state au- thorities deem a water power useful they may apply to the government of the United States for . grant to the state Of the adjacent land for water power site. and that this grant frem the fed ci&i government 10 the 6tato small con tain condition that the state shall never part with the title to the water power site or the water power. but shall lease 1t only for a term of years not ex- ceeding fifty, with provisions in the lease by which the rental and the rates for which the power Is furnished to the public shall be readjusted at periods less than the term of the lease say, every ten years. The argument is urged against this disposition of power sites that legfs- lators and state authorities are more sub tect to corporate influence and control than would be the central government: in reply it is claimed that a read1ustment of the terms of leasehsld every ten years would secure to the public and the state just and equitable terms
 l do not express an opinion upon the controversy thus made or preference to the two methods of treating water power sites. I shall submit the matter to congress and urge that one the other of the two plans be adopted
 l have referred to the course of the last administration and of the present one in making withdrawals of government lands from entry under homestead and other laws and of congress in removing all doubt as to the validity of these with drawals as a great step in the direction of practical conservation But 1t is only one of two necessary steps to effect what should be our purpose. It has produced a status quo and prevented waste and ir- revoeable disposition of the lands until the method for their proper disposition can be formulated But 1t is of the ut- most importance that such withdrawals should not be regarded as the final step in the course of conservation, and that the idea should not be allowed to spread that conservation Is the tying up of the natural resources of the government for indefinite withholding from use and the remi ssion to remote generations to decide what ought 10 be done with these means of promoting present general human com. fort and progress. For, If so. 1t is certain to arouse the greatest opposition to con servation as cause, and If IL were correct expression of ths purpose of con seryationists it ought to arouse this op- position. As I have said elsewhere the problem is how to save and how to util- ize, how to conserve and still develop. for sane person can contend that 1t Is for the common good that natures bless ings should be stored only for unborn generations.
 beg of you. therefore. in your delib. erations and in your informal discus sioas when men come forward to suggest evfis that the promotion Of conservation is 10 remedy. that you invite them to point out the specific evils and the specific