The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-04-02

! subject that the Shields bill and the
| Ferris bill as amended In the senate,
will offer this needed incentive to in
vesment, and that their passage will
be closely followed by extensive de-
/ velopment.
The Shields bin received the full
endorsement of Iindley N. Garrison,
former secretary OF war, whose testi-
mony on the subject before the house
committee on interstate and foreign
commerce should be carefully read by
every citizen interested in the CON
servation of waterpowers. An editor
ial in The Outlook of February 9, 1916,
states clearly and foTcibly the fea-
lures of legislation necessary to pro-
tect public rights. All Of these fea-
lures are included in both the Shields
bill and the Ferris bill as amended by
the senate committee on public lands.
Both Of these bills retain to the
public all title in water rights and
power sites, where these are now
publicly owned, granting only per-
mits or leases for use for fifty years,
at the end OF which period the govern
ment may take over all parts of the
plants dependent for their useful
! ness upon the leases or permits, at a
! fair value to be decided by mutual
agreement, or by the federal courts.
! No allowance is to be made for any
unearned Increment or value in any
lands or rights granted or leased by
the government or acquired by con-
demnation under any powers conferred
, by the acts. During the leasing per-
iod, intrastate service and rates are
to be subject to state regulation, and
interstate service and rates by the IN
terstate commerce commission.
On the ground that use is the high
est form Of conservation OF WATERFOWL
ers. and to discourage speculation,
leases and permits are to be revoc-
able If development Is not made with
in a reasonable time. A moderate
rental for public lands used is to be
paid by the power companies: also
federal charge for the benefits de-
rived from government storage OF
water. Any attempt to make these
powers a source Of large government
revenues would naturally add to cost
OF development and to power prices,
which would discourage use, since the
lower cost Of construction and the
greatly Increased efficiency Of steam
plants make their competition with
the average waterpcwer very close.
There is talk of q water power trust.
Actually, no such thing exists. It Is
true that there is limited number
of waterpowers, and that it Is not gen.
orally possible to have competition
between one waterpower and another
Some OF our biggest and best water
towers are located In the mountains
Of the west, remote from cities. They
can be and should be utilized for
creating cheap power for irrigation,
for eIectrifcation OF railroad TRUNK
lines. and for great chemical and man
I1-facturfng Industries to make available
the ores and minerals In these waste
regions. Present laws, however, are
prohibi.ive of development for sucn
uses. This leaves the corporations
operating public utilities in the cities
az the largest users OF power, anu
for these reasons the utility corpora
itfong naturally control large percent
aye. not only of the developed water
poryers. but also OF the steam power or
the country.
There is nothing abnormal or alarm
Ing about this situation, excepting IN
the fact that so much coal ana OIL
and 80 little waterpower. Is being
Ysei TO generate electrical current. 80
far az the control OF waterpowers by
the utility corporations is concerned,
Il means simply, and only, that VIVA.
vaterpowers are in use are being USED
10 supply the power market Where
they are Of the greatest value. Power
can be transmitted economically rof
only limited distances, and II wafer
POWERS are to be used at all, they must
De used for supplying power Within
the zone OF economical TRANSMISSION;
where the use Of a waterpower VIII
reduce the cost Of power ana COR
gerye the fuel supply, shall we leaVe
i, unused because the most oenehcenl
uSe can be made by corpoIa,loI
which. under state and municipsa
charters with which congress cahho'