The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-01-14

cities are citizens OF the State and if
the town council or city council viii
not protect its citizens, then it is your
Guly to step in ana prtoecJ them. Ii
yoa do not think am right on this
matter, simply refer you to some
town or CITY where one corporation
or one individual controls the Lighting
plant or the water plant, or both; or
where one system controls the tele-
phone CT telegraph lines, or both; or
where one system controls the street
car lines OF other quasi public enter
prises or public service system; or
where one corporation or individual
has an exclusive franchise Of all these
things.
noted a most ridiculous occurrence
before the Railroad Commission re-
Gently in a telephone hearing. The
peoples size of the case was repre-
sented, or supposed 10 be represented,
by an attorny who is leading coun-
sci for the Western Union Telegraph
Company, when everybody knows that
the Western Union Telegraph company
and the Southern Bell Telephone and
Telegraph company are one and the
same corporation, or ore controlled
and owned by the other, operating as
such, interdependently. Still the Rail
road Commission, l presume, knew
what it was doing. l leave it to the
people Of that particular town as to
whether they got any relief or not.
Tax on Water Powers.
l respectfully recommend that you
pass an act requiring all corpora
tions in this State that are using the
water power Of the State to pay a tax
or license therefor Dams have been
built and are being built across near
ly all of the streams of South Carroll
na that have any water power that
can be proftably utilized. This water
power belongs to the people Of the
State. 1t is being harnessed, so to
speak, and used to run machinery for
a few corporations which are making
millions Of dollars out OF it, and the
people of the State-the taxpayers
are not receiving one dollars bene-
fit therefrom Other countries tax
companies or individuals for the use
Of their water powers, and there is no
good reason why South Carolina
should not do so, and every reason
why she should. 1t would be source
of much revenue to us; it would not
hurt those who are using this power;
and it would be but fairness and JUS
tice to all concerned I, therefore,
most earnestly urge you to place this
tax Or license upon each and every
one of the individuals or corporations
that are using these water powers in
generating electricity, running mach
inery, or otherWise-not to be harsh
upon them, but to be fair to the gene
raj taxpayers. These corporations are
running our rivers-absoluteIy des-
troying them forever, so far as navi-
cation is concerned; injuring the lands
below the dams by almost actually
drying up the rivers in some places;
receiving large returns therefrom, and
not paying one cent for the use of
that water power. 1t is not right, and
it is your duty to correct it.
1 am reliably informed that the
powerful, gigantic dam, which is now
beirg constructed across Broad river
at Parr Shoals, is not to be provided
with a draw. This should be required,
because the United States Government
is now spending money to make Broad
River navigable, and a great fight is
being carried on to complete the Co.
lumbia Canal, and if these things
should be accomplished, this Parr
Shoals dam would forever stand as d
menace and hindrance to the use Of
this river Now, while the dam is in
its infancy, the parties controlling its
construction should be made to change
their plans so as to provide such draw
I am also informed that there is no
provision made by which the fish from
the low7countly streams, or even from
the ocean, can go north Of this dan,
thus depriving the people north Of the
dam, in the upper part of Carolina,
from the benefits of fishing in the
stream which they otherwise would