The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-09-30
POUer Trust Makes Nation
Pau For Use of Riuer

constructed and power generated free
for the government arsenal nearby.
The dam. which will back the waters
Of the Mississippi for IS miles, 10
eight-tenths Of mile long, of mono
lithic concrete, with 1879 concrete
arches and a power house LILO feet
long. The locks on this dam are OF
equal width with those at Panama;
that Is. 10 feet, and are 400 feet long.
Without considering whether the cost
OF constructing these locks would be
q sufficient remuneration to the gov
eminent for the privilege, Congress
granted away this valuable right in
perpetuity.
Blu now comes the joker. There Is
no provision in the law regarding the
operation OF these locks, and In its
literature the company states that the
locks. having been completed and
turned over to the government, the
company Is under no further Obliga-
ton In the matter. This means that
the government will have to pay for
the operation of these locks forever.
In other words, Congress grants the
right to obstruct navigation In the
Mississippi to private corporation.
but in order to compensate for this,
provides that locks must be construct
ed at the expense of the company
but the people, through the govern.
ment, must pay for the privilege OF
using their own river forever.
Shortly before the opening Of this
project the Mississippi River Power
company entered into contract with
the Union Electric Light & Power
company, of st. Louis, the terms OF
which call for the payment Of one mil.
lion dollars per annum for 999 years
to the Mississippi Power company by
the st. Louis company, for 10000
horsepower from the plant to be de-
livered In St. Lous at $50 per kilo-
watt per year to consumers. This Is
an assured income Of Ave per cent on
the twenty million dollars invested In
the concern for 800 years without the
OF q single additional
But, as the total power
capable Of development is over 800.
900, on the same basis the income OF
the corporation, at Ave per cent per
annum, would mean an annual profit
OF 25 per cent per annum on the In
vestment forever. And all given free
as air by Congress to this corporation,
without even the payment Of a noml-
nal fee to the government for the use
of the water.
The company will undoubtedly have
power lines running into all the ad-
Joining states Of Illinois, Ohio, Indi-
ant, Missouri, Kentucky, Iowa, and
perhaps even further. The Stone
Webster people are understood to be
also other power projects
in the same vicinity to be connected
up by transmission lines into q sim
gle project.
The water power problem will SOON
err or later be brought home to every
man, woman and child In the country.
In a few years the use of power will
become daily problem to the man
on the farm. the woman In the home,
and the working man in the shop. The
day IL coming when, due to the de-
pleted supply OF coal and wood, cleo
trio power will be the great factor in
the power world. Even at the pres
emit time In six western states, 50 per
cent OF the power used in manufac-
turing is generated by falling water.
And no one realizes this situation
better than the General Electric and
the Stone-Webster companies.