South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-01-20
CONGRESS ASKED To
PROBE POWER DEAL
Rep. Rainey Wants Repeal of
Grant to Stone Webster Cor
poration of Power Rights
Without Compensation.
BY gibson GARDNER.

WASHINGTON. Jan. LIT begins
TO look as if there would be a real
investigation and perhaps some dras-
tic action by congress in the matter
OF the Mississippi River Power Co.
grab at keOkuk. Ia.
This is the Stone x Webster corpo-
ration TO which congress on Feb 5.
1905, granted a perpetual franchise
to construct d dam across the Miss
issippi river, with no restrictions OF
any consequence. except a prOviso
that locks should be constructed TO
keep open navigation. and that these
locks when completed should become
the property Of the government.
There was no provision for COM
pensatiOn To the government for this
extremely valuable franchise. and
there was no provision by which the
government could regulate the rates
TO be charged TO consumers for power
and light.
Rep. Henry T. Rainney of Illinois
will appear before the rules commit
tee of the house this week 10 advo-
cate the passage of the resolution in
trOduced by him Dec. 10, which 'di-
reefs the committee on interstate
commerce to inquire into the charges
made against this power company,
with Il view to determining whether
or not said act ought to be repealed
adequate compensation for the valu-
able privilege granted and also for the
regulation Of the cost of consumers of
electric energy and power"
Navigation Held Up.
Rainey's resolution reciteS that 1T
is claimed by steam boat mpanies
navigating said river that said dam is
a hindrance to navigation" and that
steam boats proceeding up said river
are compelled TO await the pleasure
of the company operating said dam"
sometimes for hours; and ''it is claim
ed that under some agreement with
the war department said company is
permitted to store water in the night
time in its pool above said dam,
thereby rendering unsafe and often
impossible the navigation in the night
time of the river for many miles be-
low said dam"
The resolution further recites that
the company is engaged in buying up
electric light plants within its sphere
of operations in Illinois, Missouri and
Iowa. paying eNOrbitant prices for the
purpose Of obtaining a monopoly;
that ii is rendering poor service at
excessive charges; that it is charged
with having built a bridge across its
dam lin defiance of law and without
the permission of congress, thereby
further obstructing the navigation of
said river"
Rep. Rainey was a member of a
subcommittee of three members of
the interstate commerce committee
with Adamson of Georgia and Stew
ems of Minnesota which has Just re-
turned from a personal inspection of
the plant. He points out that the act
which originally made the grant eX
pressly retains in congress the right
TO alter amend or repeal it,
Country Is Aroused
There is every likelihood that he
will be able to force the rules COM
mittee to order an investigation. The
whole country in the Mississippi val
ley where this dam is located is
aroused at the treatment it has re-
ceived from this branch of the pow
er trust" and protests and petitions
have been flooding the members OF
the senate and house who come from
the states and cities affected.
Rainey. himself is a leader in the
democratic party and is the ranking
member of the ways and means COM
mittee and Will probably succeed TO
the Craftsmanship Of Underwood goes
TO the senate
The power interests are doing all
they can through their publicity bu-
reaus to prevent an investigation.