Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-03-15
government SHOULD
CONTINUED from page l.)

The concentration of control over WI
ter powers. the commissioner de
clares, is exercised partly by direc
ownership Of stock, but mainl
: through interlocking directories.
The rapidly increasing concentra
ton of water power control abou
which the commissioner sounds I
warning may u come, he says. tn
nucleus for a monopoly of both watel
and steam power. II the water pow
er cannot meet the entire demand o.
a given locality he points out thai
the owners can acquire auxiliary fue
plants and handle water and fuel pow
er over the same distributing lines
and thus complete commercial pow
er monopoly night gradually be built
up-in fact already exists in mum
Der Of communities.
Ten great groups of interests. with
the General Electric company as the
most powerful, are declared by Com
missioner Smith to control or strong.
ly influence about 60 per cent of the
developed commercial water power of
the United States. These ten groups
themselves are more or less inter-
related, with resultant growing CON-
munity Of interests. In this connec.
ton the commissioners report says:
I'm this maze of inter-relationships.
ranging from practically joint control
down to personal association in COM
! mon directorates, Is clearly revealed
the drift of water power and public
utility corporations under the control
of a very few powerful interests.
These connections, some stronger and
some weaker, suggest favorable con-
dition for a very small number OF
men to consolidate very large inter-
ests whenever they may decide it to
their advantage to do so. This inter-
locking of inter :sts through directors,
while not necessarily indicating a
purpose of monopoly. certainly affords
an incentive and means of combina.
tion."
Mr.. Smith, urging the immediate
formulation of definite policy Of de.
veloping the remaining water power
sites on the public domain, recon-
mends generally speaking that the
government retain the ultimate con.
troll of these sites. They should be
developed at once. he declares, not
only to conserve the fuel supply OF
the country, but because they are fast
passing into private control. 1t Is es'
timated that the water power now in
use saves $4,000, 900 tons Of coal an.
nually, and, Mr.. Smith, adds, the wa.
ter power resource is not expended In
its using. s,-.
The problem Of development, the
commissioner continues, cannot be
solved by fixing by law the selling
price of water by itself, which, in any
event, will be controlled, by the cost
Of fuel power. $500
Recognizing that the most efficient
use Of water power requires consid-
cradle degree Of unified control. the
commissioner makes this recommen.
dalton for the development of public
water powers:
1.-THE public can either develop and
operate the sites, selling the energy
at market rates, or the public may
lease the sites at rental fairly rep
resenting its natural. value" The
commissioner favors the rental sys'
tenn.
The water power Of the country, de-
:veloped and practically capable Of de-
velopment at this time, probably does
not exceed $4,000, 900 horsepower. Mr..
Smith says. The total developed wa
ter power today Is about 5000, 900
horsepower. The total stationary
power used in the United States
steam, water and gas-is probably
over 30,000000 horsepower. ~
The bureau Of corporations, in It's
investigations, found concentration of
water powers. according to the report
in three distinct phases. First there
was a centraliEation Of control In each
important locality; secondly. large in
terests influenced Z number of these
local concerns. and finally there was
found growing relationship among
the big interests.
DELIGHTFUL TIME
The Misses Matte and Anna