The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-03
RESOLUTION ASKS
VETO'S WITHDRAWAL
Chamber Prays Taft Not to
Retard Development
MEANS MUCH TO STATE
Both United States and Alabama Will
Lose il Senate Bill 7343 Is Not
Passed-Quotes From
Taft's Message
MEANS MUCH TO STATE

After unanimously indorsing a resolu.
tion introduced by w. r. G. Harding
memorializing President Taft to with
draw his veto of Senate bill T343 fol-
building a dam on the Coosa river al
Lock IS. the Chamber of CommercC
board of directors which met at
o'clock yesterday afternoon in specia
meeting. adjourned without further dis.
eussion.
The meeting, which was called by
President John w. Sibley. to consider
the resolutions. lasted only a few min
utes Mr.. Harding's resolution was
speedily introduced and passed. The
resolution follows
Whereas the Chamber of Commerce
of Birmingham, Alabama, recognizing
and appreciating that the constructive
purposes and plans of the Alabama In
terstate Power company and the Ala
bama Power company to build high
power dams in the Coosa river, jointly
improving navigation and developing
valuable water power, are among the
most important and far reaching to-
wards the Industrial growth and in
crea sed commerce of the state of Ala
bama, that, perhaps, any industrial en-
terprise has ever offered to the Bir-
mingham district. or promised so large
" and generally to develop the COM
merce and industrial interests of the
entire state, and
Whereas, The important. useful and
very desirable public benefits and in
df1efrtaI Cro In, f,f,
states that VIII follow these navigation
power improvements Cwithout cost to
the federal government are being de-
layed, and in fact, threatened to be lost
to the people of Alabama by the Presi-
dents refusal to approve Senate bill
7343, passed by the Sixty-second Con-
gress during It's second session; and,
Whereas. II the President of the
United States does not withdraw his
disapproval Of Senate bill 734S the Uni
ted states will lose. in initial cost OF the
dam at Lock rs on the Coosa river ST.
622000, and the state of Alabama and
the south will lose the location of a
lime nitrogen fertilizer factory costing a
million dollars, by the latter going TO
Canada; and,
Whereas. The state of Alabama will
be saved total investment loss of So
100000 If the President Of the United
States shall decide to withdraw his
disapproval of Senate bill 7343; and
Whereas, English capital has become,
and has been induced to in
vest in the construction of power dams
In the navigable streams OF Alabama,
relying upon the good faith of the gov
ernmcnt that the general dam laws 10
regulate the construction of such dams
in navigable waters, enacted by the
Fifty-ninth Congress during its first
session, and as amended by the Sixty
first Congress during its second session.
fixed the policy of the federal govern
ment, and that these laws so passed
and declared were the adopted policy
of the federal government respecting
the construction of dams in the navig-
able streams of the country. until Com
gress shall amend, alter or repeal these
laws:
Therefore. by the Chamber of Com
merce of Birmingham. Ala,
''Be IL resolved,
First That the Birmingham Chamber
of Commerce Is fully mindful of. and
highly appreciates, the constant watch
fu1ness which the Honorable William
H. Taft. during his term as President
of tho United States, has shown in safe
guarding and directing legislation and
governmental policies along those lines
that viii best and longest subserve
and protect the interests of the people
In the natural resources of the navig-
able streams of the<country; yet
Second. That this Chamber of Com
merce is convinced that the important and
practical fact should not be forgotten.
as ably expressed by President Taft
in his special message on the conserva-
ton of natural resources that
1T is exceedingly difficult to frame a
statute to retain governmental control
of all the property to be developed by
private capital In such a manner as to
secure the governmental purposes and
at the same time not frighten away the
investment of the necessary capital
Hence IL may be necessary. by laws that
are really only experimental. to deter
mine from their practical operation
what is the best method Of securing
the result aimed at"
'Third-That the birmingham Chamber
OF Commerce declares its business iudg-
nient to be that the differing opinions as
to the limitations of federal control of
water powers, and the differing views as
to the power Of the federal government
over the navigable and non-na vigable
streams, and the variety of opinion as to
the power of the federal government over
the development and use of water powers
within the respective states are all largely
OF legal opinion. which may
we'll be left to future determination by
the courts, and the Birmingham Chamber
of Commerce insists that the navigation
and power development in the navigable
streams In the various states should
neither he delayed nor in any respect him
dered, but that both the legislative and
executive departments of the government
should. in every possible way, encourage
these developments under the present dam
laws. until thse laws are amended. altered
or repealed.
"Fourth--That while it is the opinion
of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
that government control and regulation
of the navigable streams begin and end
with navigation. and that state control
and regulation begin and continue where
navigation leaves off. this body subscrlbes