The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-12-06

legislation. It has been thought that
there was danger Of combination to OBJ
tain possession Of all the power sites
and 10 unite them under one control
whatever the evidence Of this. or lack
Of Il, Mt present we have had enough
experience to know that combination
would be profitable, and the control OF
a great number of power sites would
enable the holders or owners to raise
the price OF power mt will within GER
tain sections. and the temptation would
promptly attract investors and the dan.
ger Of monopoly and extortion would
not be remote one.
However this may be, II Is the plain
duty OF the government to see to II
that In the utilization and development
Of all this immense amount OF water
power conditions shall be imposed
that will prevent extortionate charges,
which are the usual accompaniment
Of monopoly.
The difficul,y Of adjusting the mat
ter Is accumulated by the relation or
the power sites to the water, the fai!
0n0 now OF WHfH 'hN p'"'s-
In the states where these sites are the
riparian owner does not control or
own the power I'm 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 IL entitled to the
enjoyment. Now. the possession OF
the bank or water power site over
which the water is TO bc conveyed in
order to make the power useful gives
IN its owner an advantage and GER
tain kind Of control over the use OF the
wnter power, and Il II 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 impose conditions on the lease
hold with reference to the reasonable
ness Of the rates Mt which the power
when transmitted II to DC furnished
10 the public and preventing the
abuses Of monopoly by forbidding as
alignment Of the lease save with con.
sent Of the government.
! Serious difhculties are anticipated by
some In such an attempt on the part
81 the general government, because OF
the sovereign control Of the state over
thu water power In It's natural condi-
ton. and the mere proprietorship Of
the government In the riparian lands.
Il n contended that through its mere
peupeietary right In the site the cen
tral government has no power to at
tempt 70 exercise police jurisdiction
with reference to how the water pow
0e IN q river owned and controlled by
% state shall be used and that 1t Is
II violation Of the states rights.
/! I question the validity Of this objec-
oDon. The government may impose any
koonditions that II chooses In its lease
of its own property, even though 1t
1ney have the same purpose and In ef-
Feet accomplish just what the state
would accomplish by the exercise Of
its sovereignty. There are those land
the director Of the geological survey.
DIR. Smith. who has given n great deal
OF attention to this matter, Is one OF
them who insist that this matter of
transmitting water power into electric
fly which can be conveyed all over the
country and across state lines IL mat
Der that ought to be retained by the
general government and that 1t should
avail itself Of the ownership OF these
power sites for the very purpose of
co-ordinating In one general plan the
power generated from these govern
ment owned sites.
! On the other hand. 1t Ia contended
that II would relieve a complicated sit
nation n the control Of the water pow
or sito and the control Of the water
were vested In the same sovereignty
and owncrship-viz. the states--and
then were disposed Of for development
20 private lessces under the restric-
TONS needed to preserve the interests
q the public from the cxtortions and
abuses Of monopoly.
| 8ills are pending in congress provid.
ING that whenever the state authori-
ties deem a water power useful they
may apply tn the government Of the
United States for grant to the state
Of the adjacent land for water power
oate and that this grant from the fed
eeal government to the state shall con-
tain q condition that the state shall
never part with the title to the water
power site or the water power. but
shall lease II only for term Of years
not exceeding ffty. with provisions In
the lease by which the rental and the
rates for which the power Is furnished
60 the public shall be readjusted at
periods less than the term Of the lease,
cay every ten years.
Tho argument IL urged against this
disposition OF power sites that legis-
lators and state authorities are more
subject to corporate influence and con-
troll than would be the central govern
ment In reply II il claimed that re-
adjustment Of the terms OF leaschold
every ten years would secure to the
public and the state just and equita-
Die terms.
In my judgment either OF the plans
proposed could be made To work sat
isfactoriiy, and I submit the whole
matter to congress with the rccommen-
dalton that one or the other be prompt.
~ adopted.
y a.