The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-11-19
Water Power Development

The report of the Commission on
the Conservation of National Re
sources, consisting of President John
NJ. Thomas of Middlebury College,
C. p. Smith of Burlington and +. S.
Billings of Woodstock, deserves a
wide circulation and a general read
ing. Not the least important of the
water power. Vermont is little
State in area, but a large number OF
streams find their sources among our
Green Mountains, so that few States
in the Union surpass Vermont in wat
err horse power resources. 1t follows,
therefore, that the conservation and
development of what has aptly been
called white coal' is a matter of vi
tai importance to this commonwealth,
And bound up with this anne conser-
walton matter is the subject of fores-
try The depletion of our forests, due
to wasteful cutting of timber, has re.
suited in a very considerable diminu-
ton of the flow of our streams during
the summer months.
How to protect the headwaters OF
our stream how to provide feas-
ible system of storage of floodwaters,
how to protect the people of Vermont
from the transportation without The
State of power needed in our own
towns and cities. how to obtain a
larger development of our water pow
ers and how to secure more indus
tries to use the power so generated,
are all topics of vital Importance to
our people.
The problem of our rural commune
ties is not essentially different from
that of sister States. Almost without
exception the country has been de
pleted to increase the population of
the city Decline in rural population
is not peculiar to Vermont. II is
found in New York, in Massachusetts
even in the prosperous agricultural
States of the West. The steady i'm
proyement in farming conditions. and
the large increase in prices of farm
produce will go far toward remedy.
ing these conditions. The reason way
Vermont has made such small gains
in population for several decades is
due to the fact that there are no
larger cities within our boarders to
Offset the losses in the rural commu-
mites.
One of the great needs of Vermont
is more industries to take advantage
of our wealth of water power resour.
ces. While IL would be unwise. of
course, to place too severe restric-
tons upon water power development,
Vermont ought not to be deprived of
power when il is needed and IL ought
to be possible for the State to insist
that Vermont Industries should have
the first claim on power generated by
Vermont streams The loss in trans.
mission of power makes il a matter
of economy to use the power as near
to the source of production as may be
possible.
The commission does well TO call
attention to the greater benefit to be
derived from many small industrial
plants than may be ATTAINED from a
few large industries. There are many
small water powers-they are to be
found in almost every Vermont town
that could be made to furnish pow
er for small industrial establishments
We are sending out of the State a
great amount Of lumber and timber
that-ought to be utilized in wood work
ing establishments near the source OF
supply. This is an illustration az a
general principle.
Vermont ought to have a great in
dustrial future with such abundant
natural sources of power. With more
legislation and the assistance Of such
valuable aids as the State Publicity
Bureau and the Greater Vermont AS
ISOLATION, it ought TO be possible tc
accomplish much during the next few
years for the upbuilding of the indus
trial life of the State.-Montpelier
Journal.