Norwich bulletin., 1912-02-03
FOR THE GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP OF RAILROADS
President Taft Recommends Their Construction in Alaska But
Not Necessarily Their Operation

ment OF the United States as TO joint
expenditure and Joint use that it is I'M
wise to move until we can obtain some
agreement with that government which
will enable us to submit to congress a
larger plan better adapted to the ext
gencies presented than the one adopt
ed. II is essential that we act prompt
ly, and through the state department
the matter is being pressed upon the
attention of the Mexican government.
Meantime report Of the engineer in
charge, together with a subsequent re-
port upon his work by a body of ex-
perts appointed by the secretary Of the
interior. together with an offer by the
Southern Pacific railroad to do the
work at certain price with a guaran-
ty for a year. and a comment upon
this offer by Brigadier General Mar
shall, late chief of engineers, United
States army, and now consulting en-
gineer of the reclamation service, are
all herewith transmitted.
Water Power Sites.
In previous communications to con
gress | have pointed out two methods
by which the water power sites on
nonnavigable streams may be con-
trolled as between the state and the
national government. 1t has seemed
wise that the control should be con-
centrated in one government or the
nf fhn v-4f1 zA H.,
pervising its use by private enterprise
In most cases where the government
owns what are called water power
| sites along nonnavigable streams,
which are really riparian lots, without
which the power in the stream cannot
be used, we have a situation as to
ownership that may be described as
! follows The federal government has
land without which the power in the
stream cannot be transmitted into cleo
tdcity and applied at distance, while
1t is claimed that the state under the
law Of waters as it prevails in many
Of our western states controls the use
Of the water and gives the beneficial
use to the first and continuous user.
In order to secure proper care by the
state governments over these sources
of power it has been proposed that the
| government shall deed the water pow
| er site to the state on condition that
! the site and all the plant upon it shall
revert to the government unless the
state parts with the site only by a
lease, the terms Of which it enforces
| and which requires a reYaluation of
| the rental every ten years, the full
term to last not more than fifty years.
A failure of the state to make and en-
force such leases would enable the
government by an action Of forfeiture
to recover the power sites and all
plants that might be erected thereon,
and this power of penalizing those who
| succeed to the control would furnish a
motive to compel the observance Of the
policy of the government.
The secretary Of the interior has sug-
gested another method by which the
water power site shall be leased di-
rectly by the government to those who
exercise public franchise under pro.
I visions imposing a rental for the wa
ter power to create fund to be ex-
pended by the general government for
the improvement Of the stream and the
benefit Of the local community where
| the power site is, and permitting the
state to regulate the rates at which
the converted power is sold. The lat
ter method suggested by the secretary
is a more direct method for federal
control, and in view Of the probable
union and systematic organization and
| welding together of the power derived
from water within a radius of 800 OF
400 miles, / think it better that the
| power of control should remain in the
national government than that il
should be turned over to the states
| Under such a system the federal gov
eminent would have such direct super.
vision Of the whole matter that any
honest administration could easily pre-
vent the abuses which a monopoly OF
absolute ownership in private persons
or companies would make possible.
Bureau of National Parks.
earnestly recommend the establish
ment of a bureau of national parks
Such legislation is essential to the prop
er management of those wondRous
| manifestations Of nature, so startling
and SO beautiful that every one recog
niEes the obligations Of the government
to preserve them for the edifeation anC
recreation Of the people. The Yellow
stone park, the Yosemite, the Grand
canyon Of the Colorado, the Glacier
National park and the Mount Rainier
National park and others furnish ap
proprate instances. In only one case
have we made anything like adequate
preparation for the use Of a park by
the public. That case is the Yellow
stone National park. Every considera
ton Of patriotism and the love Of ma
ture and of beauty and of art requires
us 10 expend money enough TO bring
all these natural wonders within easy
reach OF our people, The first step II
that direction is the establishment Of
q responsible bureau which shall take
upon itself the burden of supervising
the parks and of making recommenda
lions as TO the best method Of improy
ing their accessibility and usefulness.
international Commission on the Cos
Of Living.
There has been a strong movement
among economists, business men anC
others interested in economic inveStiga
ton to secure the appointment Of al
tntarnnfio,naH commission 10 Innk mt