The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-02-27

against each other on the subject
Oh control of the water power in
Tue haVlgable streams. Is Uncle Sam
70 nave control over water power
leases or is 1t to be vested hereafter
IN the legislatures OF the individual
states? The majority in congress be-
neVes In states rights. The conserva.
tlohlsts say that if the matter be
turned over entirely to the states, mo-
hopoly will rejoice and the public will
be robbed.
IN december there was a National
conservation congress held in Wash.
Mgton. II was supposed to be com
posed of delegates devoted entirely to
the plan to keep the command of wa
Ter power sites in the hands of Uncle
oaIn. However, there were a good |
many delegates present who it was
charged were representatives of the |
water power people, and who were
present for the sole purpose of trying
TO thWart conservation under federal |
authority
lnere was hot controversy in the |
conservation congress, but finally a |
resolution introduced by Clifford Pin |
chot pledging the congress to the prin-
ciple that the people would draw a
revenue from their heritages was put
through by an almost unanimous vote.
1t was evident that those who we're op-
posed to the plan did not care to put
themselves on record as voting against
something which if put into effect
seemingly will give the entire people
return for the power site rights which
the government may grant.
Water Power Lease Bill.
There is today before congress bill
which is intended to give to the indi-
yidual states the right to lease water
power sites on navigable streams with
in their borders. Uncle Sam is sup
posed to have control of navigable
streams and therefore the conserva-
tionists say that giving the states pow
er to govern in the matter is taking
away from the federal government a
constitutional right and that the result
will be, state legislatures being more
ture, that monopoly will get hold OF
the water power sites and the people
will get no return for that which Is
inheritently theirs.
Within six months the United States
Supreme court has handed down two
decisions which prove as conclusively
as Supreme court decisions can that
| the United States has complete con-
| troll of the power in navigable streams
and that it can exact payment for its
use. One case came out of Michigan
and the other out of Utah.
Recently limitations have been
printed that the president of the Unit
ed States is in entire sympathy with
the Democrats in congress who want
| to give water power to corporations
without payment to the whole people
for it's use. The president is states
rights man, but it is not believed he
has expressed himself as in favor Of
such a plan. The Pinchot men say
the report almost unquestionably Is
being spread in order to make the peo-
pie of She country believe that man
in whom they have confidence thinks
the scheme as outlined by the majority
in congress is righteous.
Conservationlsts on Guard.
The conservationists in Washington
are wakeful to the situation. They
know everything that is going on and
it is known that if congress attempts
to do what subcommittee apparently
intends that it shall do, there will be
another fight in the center of a field
with as much interested onlookers az
there were when Mr.. Pinchot and his
followers attacked Mr.. Ballinger anc
his followers.
The Democrats say that they are
progressive and are conservationists
The followers of the school of Giffort
Pinchot deny that the Democrats are
telling the truth. The conservationisti
say that to put she water site matter
in the hands of the states is to throw
away money and to make monopol,
certain. If water power legislation IL
the form in which the majority in con
gress seem to want to enact 1t is pu
through and signed by the president
it is declared by the conservationist
that one pledge in the Democratic plat
form will have been shattered, tina
monopoly will rejoice and that the pee
pie of the United States will hav
their pockets picked.
On the other hand the Democrat
say that the states can be depende'
upon to safeguard their own right
and that there is no reason why tn
federal government should enter int
the confines of any one state to regr
late the affairs of it's people in the wa
ter power matter.
Maintaining Modern Hotel.
About 21.G00 persons enter one bi