Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-09-06
TAFT TAKES FIRM sTAID
ON CONSERVATION.
CONTINUED From Page 2.)

water power, conditions shall be inn
Iposed that will prevent monopoly, and
will prevent extortionate charges,
(which are the accompaniment of mon
opoly. The difficulty Of adjusting the
matter Is accentuated by the relation
of the power sites to the water, the
fall and flow of which create the
power. In the states where these sites
are the riparian owner does not con-
Itrol or own the power in the water
which flows past his land. That power
| is under the control and within the
grant of the state, and generally the
rule is that the first user is entitled to
the enjoyment. Now the possession OF
the bank or water-power site over
which the water Is to be conveyed IN
order to make the power useful. gives
to its owner an advantage and GER
tain kind of control over the use of the
water power and it Is proposed that
the government in dealing with its own
lands should use this advantage and
lease lands for power sites to those
| who would develop the power and I'M
pose conditions on the. leasehold with
reference to the reasonableness OF the
rates at which the power, when trans
muted, is to be furnished to the pub
| lie. and forbidding the union of the
particular power with a combination
\ of others made for the purpose OF
monopoly by forbidding assignments ~
| the lease save by consent OF the gov
eminent Serious difficulties are anti
| cipated 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 Its ma
tural condition, and the mere pro-
prietorship Of the government in the
riparian lands 1t is contended that
through its mere proprietary right in
the site, the central government has
no power to attempt to exercise police
jurisdiction with reference to how the
water power in a river owned and con-
trolled by the state shall be used, and
that it is a violation of the states
rights. question the validity Of this
objection The government may impose
any conditions that 1t chooses in Its
lease of It's own property, even though
it may have the same purpose, and In
effect accomplish just what the state
would accomplish by the exercise OF
it's sovereignty. There are those (and
the director Of the geological survey,
Mr.. Smith, who has given a great deal
of attention to this matter, Is one OF
them) who insist that this matter Of
transmitting water power into electric
ity, which can be conveyed all over the
country and across the state lines, is
a matter that ought to be retained by
the general government, and that it'll
should avail itself of the ownership OF
these power sites for the very purpose
of o-ordinating in one general plan
the power generated from these gov
eminent sites.
States Seek Power.
On the other hand, 1t is contended |
that it would relieve a complicated SIT
uation If the control of the water
power site and the control Of the water
were vested in the same sovereignty I
and ownership, viz. the states and then
were disposed of for development TO
private lessees under the restrictions
needed to preserve the interests Of the
public from the extortions and abuse /
of monopoly. Therefore, bills have been
In congress providing that /
whenever the state authorities deem
water power useful they may apply to |
the government Of the. United States |
for grant to the state of the adjacent |
land for a water-poWer-site, and that |
this grant from the federal government |
to the state shall contain a condition
that the state shall never part with
the title to the Water-power site or the
water power. but shall lease it only for
a term of years not exceeding fifty,I
with provisions in the lease by which
the rentals 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
of power sites that legislat-
ors and state authorities are more sub
ject to corporate influence and con-
troll than would be the central govern
ment: In reply 1t is claimed that a re-
adjustment of the terms Of leasehold
every ten years would secure to the
public and the state just and equitable |
terms. Then it is said that the state
authorities are better able to under
stand the local need and what is fair
adjustment in the particular locality
than would be the authorities at
Washington. 1t has been aruged that
after the federal government parts
With title to a power site it can not
control the action of the state in full
filing the conditions, Of the deed, to
which 1t Is answered that in the grant
from the government there may be
easily inserted condition specifying
the terms upon which the state may
part with the temporary control of the
water power sites, and indeed, tte,t
water power, and providing for for
feiture Of the title to the water power
sites In case the condition is not per-
formed and giving to the president, in
case Of such violation Of conditions, the
power to declare forfeiture and to direct
proceedings to restore the central gov
eminent to the ownership Of the power
sites with all the improvements there
on. and that these conditions may be |
promptly enforced and the land and
plants forfeited to the general govern
ment by suit of the United States
against the state, which Is permissible |
under the constitution.
do not express an opinion upon the |
controversy thus made or a preference
as to the two methods Of treating wa
ter-power sites. / shall submit the |
matter to congress and urge that one |
or the other of the two plans be !
Time to Halt Rhapsodies.
At the risk of wearying my audience
have attempted to state as succinctly !
as may be the questions Of conserva-
ton as they apply to the public domain !
of the government, the conditions to
which they apply, and the proposed So
luton of them. In the outset alluded !
to the fact that conservation had been |
made to include great deal more than |
what l have discussed here. OF course,
as have referred only TO the public |
domain Of the federal government I
have left untouched the wide field Of |
with respect to which a I
heavy responsibility rests upon the
states and individuals as well. But II
think it of the utmost Importance that
after the public attention has been
reused to the necessity Of change in
our general policy to prevent waste |