The Washington times., 1914-06-30
WILSON TO CHECK
WARNING FACTIONS
Anxious to Reconcile Divided
Forces on Water Rights
Controversy.
By JUDSON C. wELLIvER.

By JUDSON c. WELI1VER.
President Wilson, It is announced, will
personally undertake to reconcile the
differences between the warning factions
that are trying to dominate water-power
legislation.
Two bills have been reported to the
House. They are about as much alike
at daylight and darkness. noon and
midnight, giving and receiving, but the
Administration support has been
strenuously claimed for both of them.
One is the Ferris bill. reported by the
Committee on Public. Lands. 1t was
prepared under Secretary Lanes direc-
ton, represents the experience and pur-
poses of the conservation authorities. is
supported by Secretary Lane. former
Secretary Fisher. Clifford Pinchot, for
mer Secretary Stimson, Congressman
Kent, and long list of other original
conservationists
The other is the Adamson bill. report
ed by the Committee on Interstate Com
merce- 1t was reported at the conclu-
sion Of series of sittings of the COM
mittee, during which about the only wit
nesses were water power men. It is re-
sarded by conservationists as represent
ing Just about what the water power
trust, so-called, would like to get into
the law.
Fireworks Are Promised.
When the Adamson bill comes before
the House tomorrow, when it will be a
special order, the fireworks are prom
ised an early exhibition. There is re-
ported to be sharp divergence of view
between the Interior Department, which
rs supporting the Ferris bill, and the
War Department, which is lined up be-
hind the Adamson measure.
II the Adamson bill passes il will take
away from the Interior Department and
me torest Service a large part of the
authority they now have over water and
water rights, and vest that power in the
war Department
That is why the Adamson bill is being
bitterly opposed by the old-line conser-
Vationists. They are convinced that
something rich and big is being put
across in the Adamson bill. They saw
mat the Adamson measure would, in
erect repeal pretty much all the safe
guards that have thus far been written
into laws for the preservation of public
interest in water powers.
Opponents Cite Defects.
Other glaring defects which are enurn-
Grated by opponents of this measure in
clude these:
First-It destroys the control of the
Forest Service and Secretary OF The
Interior over water power sites on ma
uonal forests and public lands; and it !
makes the army engineers who have
been unfaithful to the public Interest
Ss 10 many water power sites. hence |
forth rulers over nearly all of them.
Second-It takes from the public and !
gives to the power companies the great
and certain. though unmeasured, future
increase In values that cannot fail to |
result from the growth of population |
and industry
Third-It gives all profits that will be |
earned by Government reservoirs al the |
headwaters OF rivers to the power COM
panies. instead of keeping them for the |
public, with whose taxes the reservoirs |
have been or will be built |
Fourth-It destroys the right Of the |
public to make the power companies |
pay. something for the special benefit |
Of increased stream flow derived by |
them from national forests bought and |
maintained on the mountain watersheds |
at public expense.
Provisions Not Made.
The tdarason bill fails to make any |
provision whatever TO limit O. control |
the capitalization OF the power COM
psnies 10 which 1t will give privileges:
ard this notwithstanding that from the !
beginning OF the agitation for better
control Of water powers. it has been
recognized that overcapitalization is the
greatest danger. Through II the un-
earned increment in sites for power
plants is converted into vested rights"
TO extract excessive charges from the I
JTbliC.
Not les. Than a score of speeches have
been prepared in opposition to the
Adainscn rIeasure. Mr.. Nurdock. The
progressive leader. will b at the front
Il: the discussion. Henry T. Rainey and
Martin D. Foster, both of Illinois, along
with Congressman Graham. will go to
the frort in the effor: 10 protect the
ater resources against what they be-
lioEe wcll7 be a ruinous policy.
L: Is generally insisted by the conser-
measure that the bill represents the
ell Irtent'oned efforts OF gentlemen
who we-e nisled without knowing il.
There are no charges of corruption and
graft. but there are some very in
ststent charges that men have been
writing legislation who didn't know
what they were doing.
Interests Get Active
On the other hand. the water power
interests are known to be getting ac-
tive; one Congressman today showed
moro than a score OF kilograms which
rad come from his district, asking him
To SUPPORT the measure. Tclegrans
don't come in punches like that with
OFT ma. 1G a common Inspiration: and
the piece of lcgisl9 ton that
prcClpitat"S a downpoUr OF the little
yellow rI'ssiVe is generally placed under
suspicion. and do more harm than go1d.
An immense number OF amendments
Will De r"TeTed to the Adamson BILL and
UniCss :. can be amended into an en-
uTcly different form. then tkc effort
will be to defeat 1T on the quetison of
it's passage.
Predicts Early Clash
Of Turks and Greeks