Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-02-03

thortztng the expenditure Of 81, 900 ,OO(
or so much thereof rs might be neces
sary, to be expended by the presiden,
Tor the purpose Of protecting lands and
4 property in the Imperial valley ant
elsewhere along the Colorado river II
Arizona. The money was expended
and the protective works erected. bu
the disturbances j Mexico so delayed
do river were so extensive that part
Of the works have been carried away
/ and the need for further action and ex
penditure OF money exists. do moi
/ make definite recommendation a,
present. for the reason that the plan tc
4 be adopted for the betterment Of con
ditions near the mouth Of the Colorado
river proves to be so dependent on 9
free and full agreement between the
( government Of Mexico and the govern
ment of the United States as to joint
expenditure and joint use that 1t is un'
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 It is essential that we act prompt
J ly. and through the state department
the matter is being pressed upon the
attention OF the Mexican government:
Meantime a report Of the engineer In
charge, together with subsequent re-
port upon his work by q 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 guaran'
ty for year, and comment upon
this offer by Brigadier General Mar
shall, late chief of engineers, United
States army, and now consulting en-
gineer Of tho reclamation service, are
all herewith transmitted. "
Water Power Sites.
| In previous communications to con-
sress I 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
other as the active participant In su-
pervising it's 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 situation rs 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
trtclty and applied at q distance, while
it Ii 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 1t 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 1t shall
revert to the government unless the
state parts with the site only by q
lease, tho terms Of which it enforces
and which requires a revaluation 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 q
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 d.
rectly by the government to those who
exercise public franchise under pro
visions imposing rental for the wa
ter power to create fund to be ex
pended by tho general government fol
! the improvement Of the stream and the
benefit Of tho local community where
the power site Is. and permitting the
state to regulate the rates at which
tho converted power is sold. The lat
ter method suggested by the secretary
10 q more direct method for fedora
control, and in view Of the probable
union and systematic, organization and
welding together Of the power derived
from water within a radius OF 300 o.
/ 400 miles, I think 1t better that the
power Of control should remain in the
national government than that il
should be turned over to the states
Under such 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 monopoly OF
absolute ownership in private persons
Or companies would make possible. b
| Bureau Of National Parks.
earnestly recommend the establish
ment Of bureau Of national parks
Such legislation is essential to the prop
laA<,