Arizona republican., 1911-12-04
PHOENIX ARIZONA MONDAY MORNING. DECEMBER 1911
ENGINEERS AND THE
 WATER POWER PROBLEM
A Question That Will Aeitate the
 Rivers and Harbors Congress.

| WASHINGTON. Dec 1. Especial
 cor. of The Republican,. The board l of engineers for rivers and harbOrs,
 now consisting of ColoneIs William T. Russell and Solomon w. Roessler.
 Lieutenant Colonel William C. Lang | fit and Majors Herbert Deakyne and l William J. Barden. are again in Wash ingtOn after an official visit as a board to the interior At Minneapolis they gave an interesting hearing on the inn proVement of the headwaterS of the Mississippi river. the main feature of which was the discussion of the con struction of a reservoir. Imme liatply
 upon their return a hearing was had
 on the improvement of the CoOsa river.
 an important tributary of the Alabama
 river in Alabama. in which participant
 ed three members of congress from
 that state. Representatives. George ".
 Taylor. a member of the rivers and
 harbors committee: :. II. Dent and
 John l.. Burnett. and Gordon Lee. of
 Georgia
 In both the Minnesota and Alabama hearings. along with the improvement oi navigation. Was discussed the incl 1
 dental utilization of the waterpower resources of the rivers. There was no i
 expression from the board in either event. the statements ana arguments ! being heard without commentary from | the members of the board that in any way indicated the opinion as to the principles asserted to be involved in | the waterpower question. IL is now .fs n. this question arises and the inSistencel with which it is pressed to a decision that congress is bound to be harrassed with 1t until a solution is reached
 which will be satisfactory tO the To- Calities concerned and at the same time preserve the essential business of the government in caring amply for navigation. Although the question in it's several phases of navigation i'm provement. waterpower use. raparian rights. and the most important and vexing issue of all. the line of de- markation between federal and state jurisdiction, have been very consid- arably discussed in both houses of II congress, it was evident from the character of the debates and their in conclusive tone. that no guiding light las been shed upon the difficulties.
 With the question shrouded in such nists of uncertainty the board of en- sineers for rivers and harbors and the 'ngineer corps of the army must be at css to know what position to take: u n other words. they must wait uponl congress- to settle the issue by the fl ldoption of a definite policy. lt
 There is no doubt that this water s bower problem will be q subject of eN- h .optionally interesting discussion at Ic he meeting of the National Rivers and Ir farbOrs congress. which begins its
 essiOns in this city in the grand as embly room of the New Willard Ho- h el WedneSday December 6. at II lt iclock a. m. Chief of Engineers Gen I'm ral William H. BiNby. will. it is ex- It 'Ccted. give attention to the subject To T his promised address for the oc- IC aSion li
 The waterway improvement orzaniza- a fen. which begins it's week of work In ust two days after the assembling of To he federal congress. has already in- luenced the government authorities in
 oth the executive and legislative f ranches to adopt definite policy
 ith respect tO making appropriations
 nnual and the carrying to comple-
 ion of all deserving projects as inte- ral essentials of national system of avigation. he questions tO be con idered at the convention will be more Q han usually interesting because they G ill be more definite and practical than
 as heretofore been the case in the iscussion of generalities of policy.
 No,ably significant will be the con
 iteration which will be given to such F nportant details as the vital value Of la 'rminal facilities. now well realized la . be fully as important as navigable = lannels. This question and that of la le waterpOwer proposition will con d -itute perhaps the most interesting to Nj B discussed at the coming convention co the rivers and harbors congress. ib