The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-07-31
ST|MSON OPPOSES
WATER POWER BILL
Secretary of War Should Be
Given More Power
HE OFFERS SOLUTION
If Part of Proceeds of Grants to Pri-
vate Persons Would Be Devoted
to Improving Rivers Would
Relieve Taxpayers

Washington, July 30.-Another crit
icism of the omnibus water power site
bill framed by the House committee on
interstate and foreign commerce was
forwarded to Chairman Adamson of the
committee today by Secretary of War
stimson. Secretary Stimson takes the
position that grants of power rights
TO private persons or concerns should
give the Secretary of War power to
assess a portion of the proceeds of the
power developed to be expended in the
further Improvement of rivers.
The water power site bill in the
House is the result of bitter opposition
to all Individual measures of this char
acter by group of representatives who
contend no more power rights should
be granted by the government until a
fixed policy has been adopted to pre-
vent the concentration of water power
sites control in the hands of private
interests. Secretary Stimson points out
what he asserts is a solution.
Sets Forth Solution
His letter to Chairman Adamson sets
forth that the department is at pres
tHt uSlnR inc SLICK WdltT 01eInOu OF
river Improvement by which a series of
dams. deepens and broadens the i'm
proved streams. This method, he says,
is available on all of the rivers mem
toned In the omnibus dams bill.
Most of the dams thus constructed
in slack water Improvement" said
the letter. particularly in the rapid
portions of the streams, will create wa
ter power of commercial value. Now
II is manifest that unless the CONNER
ciaI value of the water power thus
created can be applied by Congress to-
ward continuing and extending this
method of Improvement of the stream
in question a very much greater fnan
cial burden for the improvement of the
stream will fall upon the general tax
payers of the country and will there
fore necessarily retard Improvement of
our rivers. on the other hand, IL Con-
gress avails itself of this asset the ma
tion would be very much more speed
lily placed in the condition of having
all of its rivers available for com
msrce.
Is Not Unlawful
again, as a matter of constitutional
", | cannot see that ii makes the
ghtest difference whether the federal
aavernment builds these dams retain
for itself the value of the water
liver thus created or whether the
)vernment chooses to have the dam
INSTRUCTED by private person as It's
agent, giving to the private person a
portion of the value of the water power
created BY thus combining the i'm
provemsnt of the river for navigation
with the legitimate desire of private
parties to develop water power great
Improvement in the navigation of the
river can he Initiated through this CO.
operation at time when otherwise the
Improvement might be indefinitely de-
layed. What the government has the
right to do by itself in the interest OF
navigation 1t can do through the agency
of another"
The secretary points out that under
the present law he has no authority or
has but questionable authority to ex-
act compensa tion from grantees of wa
ter power sites.
He asks that the omnibus bill be
amended to give him this specific au-
thority,