Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1914-05-21
held idle and unproductive under con-
centrated private control.

Experts place the valuation at Tor
ty-five dollars per horse power. If |
this is correct the water power now
held under monopolistic control and |
undeveloped by the ten great groups |
of interests, represent total annual !
loss to this country of $160,000000.
Equals 100000 Tons Of Coal
It is interesting on our par, at |
least, to note that to do the work
which these powers would do were
they developed, would cost the nation
each year, using the estimates of the
experts of ten tons Vi coal as equal
ling one horse power per year, more
than 100000 tons of our coal sup
ply.
# it he true, and the statement was
not disputed by any representative of
the power interests, that one horse
power per year equals ten tons of coal,
and ten tons of coal would equal thir-
ity-five dollars in any market, and for
ty-five dollars in most markets, then
| it would seem that the proposition to
| tax tie water power interests one dol
lar per horse power per year, is with
in reason.
Unlike all other great enterprises,
charges of operating the same and of
keeping it in repair, are reduced to
minimum; and unlike other great en-
terprises,. it is not an industry and does
not have community pay day, like
coal, oil and gas operations. It's pay
roll will be greatly limited, so much
20 that after the plant is installed the
outlay would be Insignificant.
f. Grows While They Sleep.
Profits from water power like In
terest at the bank, accumulates while
the owners sleep. The fact that it is
a natural monopoly and by its very
nature will have no competitor, would
seem to warrant state and federal gov
eminent in laying upon it the heavy
tribute, and as West Virginia has re-
IlinQuished to her absent landlords
state control of coal, oil and gas areas,
~ IS gratifying to note that the pre-
sent state administration is not going
II asy for these beneticent
guardians Of the people to get control
; III me water power sites OF the mag
nificant swift flowing streams of the
state without adequately safeguarding
the interests of the people.
AS clearly pointed out by the re-
port of the Minority on Water pow
er, a water power site can be con-
trolled and used by only one concern
at one time. therefore, water power
;, is a natural monopoly, hence the pre-
vention Of injury to the public by
tlzation of water power invol-
= YES the whole question of the terms
on which the right to use water
: i'powef site should be granted.
The position taken by Mr.. iPinchot
and supported by a majority of the
delegates in the congress was that this
fact makes it necessary to have a
; governmental veto power upon con
centration of ownership, limitations OF
the term for which the franchise is
! granted. compensation to the public
for value received, full publicity anc
in general all those conditions in which
permit or franchise that will hell
to safeguard the public against in
justice over another, and give to the
development its greatest usefulness tt
: the whole community.
Public Regulation.
The public regulation of railroads.
and other public utilities, whose fran,
chises involves the use of natural mon.
opolies, offers an instructive analogy
for similar regulation Of water, power.
Not only did large majority of the
delegates to the congress agree with
Mr.. Pinchot in his position, but Just
recently the administration at Wash
ington has taken the same position.
aud the application of these principles
is briefly considered in the report of
the Minority on Water Power. page
: Q, under the caption, Fedeal water
Power Franchises, and on page 8 of
the same report, in the compilation
and in the checking of the figures
used, the authorities consulted, are
lgiven. =
By studying the Report of the Min.
ority on Water Power and the author.
tiles cited, one may not only have an
Intelligent grasp Of the water power
question, but be prepared to discuss
1 Will Grab Air Next.
AS Exhibit 5, we file as a part of
TINS report, a paper on Atmospheric
nitrogen, which treats of the POSSIBLE
lty OF manufacturing nitrate fertili-
Zers from the air, on a commercial
scale. - 0-'''
~ water power at Lock 18, on
the C0osa River IN Alabama, is to be
ued for the manufacture OF an air nit
rate fertilizer, known as cyanamide.
By this process the oxygen is extract
Cd from the atmosphere.
Some Of the speakers at the con-
gress lntimitated that the day would
come In this country when the mono |
pol1es would undertake to control the
alr as they now control the water,
light and heat.
Conserve Human Life,
The question of the conservation of |
human life was preached by some of |
the speakers and able papers along |
this line had been prepared, but the
enort of the water companies to con
troI the congress pTecipitated fight.
hat, as already stated, overshadowed
everything else and crowded out all
other important questions, but the
next congress vii take up the threads
where this one laid them down.
Next to the question Of conserva,