The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-18
Rough Drafts of Proposed
Legislation Soon to
Be Presented
WILSON AND CABINET
DISCUSS PROBLEM
Development of Water Power by
In nlividuals Under Government
Permit Chief Idea Thus
Far Evolved

Washington, February 17.-First
steps toward the formulation of the
Administrations policy to govern the
development of water power projects
on public lands and in navigable
streams were taken by President Will
son and his cabinet today Virtually
the entire time of the cabinet meeting
which devoted to a discussion of
principles of conservation involved and
Secretaries Garrison and Lane of the
war and interior departments, respect
lively, were unanimously supported in
their plans for meeting the problem
The secretaries will confer with
members of Congress soon and present
rough drafts of legislation conforming
to their ideas. These bills will be ad-
ministration measures. They have been
only tentatively worked out thus far
The chief idea thus far evolved con-
templates the making of arrangements
between the national government and
private capital by which the latter
would construct and develop water
power projects under federal permit
given for fixed period of years after
which the project would become the
property of the government. The gov
ernment might turn the projects over
tc the states or might lease the matter
to private concerns. turning the funds
over to the various states-these are
some OF the IDEAS discussed by the
cabinet. sUnderlying them all is a de-
sire for cooperation between the states
and the federal government
Administration Viewpoint
The Presidents reference to this in
his first annual address to Congress
last December was pointed to today in
this connection as expressing the ad-
ministrstion viewpoint. He said then:
we must use the resources of the
country, not lock them up. There need
be 10 conflict or jealousy as between
state and federal authorities, for there
can be essential difference of pur-
4 l.ose between tfem. The resource in
question must be used, but not de-
stroyed or wasted; used, but not mon
opolized upon any narrow ideal of in
cividual rights as against the abiding
interests of communities That a pol
icy can be worked out by conference
and concession which will release
these resources and vet not jeopardize
donht; and 1t can be done on lines of
regulation which need be no less ac-
cepiable to the people and governments
Of the states concerned than to the
people and government of the nation
at large, whose heritage these re-
sources are. We must bend our coun-
sells to this end; common purpose
ought to make agreement easy.
To Begin at Once
The press of common counsel will
be begun by Secretary Garrison when
Chairman Adamson of the House In
terstate commerce committee returns
10 Washington from the funeral of
Senator Bacon in Georgia. and when
Secretary Lane and members of the
pubic lands committee in both houses
of Congress together, which is expect
ed TO be within few days.
Cabinet Officers are not certain that
under the plans that are drafting pri-
Yate capital would be willing to enter
into the arrangement since the plants
= constructed would have to be given
to the federal government at the end
OF a certain period An effort will
be made to sound out public opinion
and the views of business concerns en- :
gagged in construction work to learn
the feasibility of the plan. That pri-
vate concerns would be content with
the profit growing out of the use OF
the projects, with perhaps a privilege
of obtaining subsequent leases IS the
belief expressed by advocates OF the
scheme