The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1914-12-24
SHIELDS
BILL IS
REPORTED.
FAVORABLE ACTION BY COMMIT.
TEE ON DAM Measure.
SUBSTITUTE BILL PASSED
Has Practically Unanimous Support OF
Commerce COmmittee-SO Fran.
ed as TO Adjust Difficulties

| Washington, Dec. 19.-The senate
committee on commerce today reported
to the senate the bill introduced by
Senator Shields to regulate the con-
| structio nof dams across navigable
rivers for the purpose of developing
water power, by persons and compan-
les engaged in furnishing water, heat
orelectric energy for public or private
use, and to utilize the power produced
by dams already constructed by the
United States in the improvement of
navigation, as a substitute for tht
bill which passed the house some
months ago for the same purposes,
known as the Ahmonson, or general
dam bill, with recommendation that
it be passed.
The substiate had practically the,
unanimous support of the commerce
committee, and is believed to be so
frafed as to solve and adjust the diff
ferences and conflicting interests that
have heretofore existed between the
federal government and the states and
riparian proprittors in the construc-
ton of dams by private and public
utility companies in navigable rivers
for power purposes, and in utilizing
the vast power incident to the i'm
provements made by the federal GOO
ernment in such streams which have
long existed and practically prohibit
ed the use for Industrial purposes of
one OF the greatest natural resources
of the country.
The bill of Senator Shields, reported
as a substitute for the house bill, au-
thorizes the secretary of war, upon the
report and advice of the chief engi-
neers, to consent to the construction
of dams and accessory works by COM
panies at their own expense, with pro-
per safeguards for the protection of
navigation and the interest of the pub
lie, by permits certain in their terms,
to run for fifty years, unless forfeited
for violation of the conditions of the
permit, and thereafter, until the inn
provement and plant shall be taken
over by the government and compen-
sation for the investment made, with
full recognition and protection of the
sovereign rights of the states over and
in the waters and beds of waterways,
and the rights of riparian proprietors.
1t is in line with conversation and
of water-power advocated by
President Wilson in his message at
the opening of the session of congress,
an diff enacted into law, will conserve
and make available for the production
Of electrical energy and other purpose
the water-power of the country now
being almost wholly lost, and by so
doing will result, it is declared, in the
saving of millions of tons of coal an
nually consumed in generating steam
power.
1t will make possible the development
If water-powers like that of the Mus
lie shoals in the Tennessee river,
which alone will afford 6500,000 horse
,ower and mean cheap power for the
of cotton fabrics from
he cotton grown in the Mississippi
ALLEY, and cheapfixation of the nitro
zen of the atmosphere as a fertilizer,
,nowh as "cyanamid This is equal
o nitrate of soda in all its uses, and
$ found only in Chile, from which
ountry the United States, from 1888
0 1913 imported 6,516,031 tons of salt
etre, valued at $2O9971,246. The ac-
ion of the senate committee on COM
1erce will reference to the Shields
Ill is responsible for the impression
q Alabama that what is known as the
Iuscle shoals project has been favor
bly, reported by the rivers and har-
ors committee of the house. The lat
sr committee has not yet acted on
ne Muscle shoals proposition, al
1ough it recently gave an exhaustive
caring to representative of the Ten
essee River Improvement association
n the subject