Arizona republican., 1916-04-16
The Power Trust Bill

The Republican has just received personal letter from Mr. Clifford Pinehot the second the subject relative to the Shields power bill which has passed the senate. urging awakening of the people to it's niqutous character This bill was outlined in The Republican some three months ago when could hardly be contemplated that it would pass. It pro posed to power companies and that prac- ticalIy meant Q of the eighteen companies constituting the so-called power trust all of the developed power in the United States. It is true that the companies be given only d fifty year lease the when they might be taken over by the government on such terms could not be complied with unless the government should choose to into the power and electric light business own account. The bill provided also that price to be paid by the should include only the actual value of the plants but their value enue producers. These would leave the compan- es in perpetual possession of the siets.
 Nothing was O be held sacred by the power trust It's power of condemnation practically unlimited Tine forest invaded the trust could even take possession of the Grand Canyon. All reg ulatory protection be thrown down. The bill in all respects the outrageous pro posed by the far those that had been vetoed by Presidents Roosevelt and Taft. The trust must have had poor opinion of the honesty of the democratic majority in and of the honesty
 
 iquitous measure. Its opinion of the United States senate. at least, has been justified.
 It is true that the bill aferward slightly amended. The personnel of the board fix the val uation of the plants the end of fifty years was slightly changed and the government was given some power to regulate rates of companies acquiring under the bill In that amended form it passed and according to Associated Press dispatch at the time the objection Pinchot and other opponents of the bill had been met.
 But that is the for letter from MT Pmchot just hand, he says:
 Everything 1 said about the Shields bill in my former letter to you confirmed in the debate. Ac- cording to it's own supporters this bill the power interests waterpower equivalent twice the mechanical power of every kind used in the United States, enough to meet the needs of hundred million people This it does in perpetuy, a though pretending to limit the fifty years. Small wonder there is pressure to get it through
 There is d substitute power bill in house. It is not perfect bill but better Shields bill it's chief defect being that proposes to give away the power sites without compensation If the house bill should be properly amended and passed and the two bills should conference, power trust as indicated by the debates in the senate would upon majority of the conferees, report to the bill and it's passage confusion of the final hours.
 Mr. ifnchot urges the house to amend and pass its bill and stand it. But the house needs to know that the people behind In conclusion Mir Pin chot writes:
 Let call your attention again to the Ferris bill good bill dealing with waterpower on public lands and National Forests which has passed the house. An undesirable substitute, Myers bill now before the senate gives the public waterpowers away m perpetuity Under it, the power interests could oc- cupy and exploit the Grand Canyon greatest natural wonder this continent
 The waterpower interests want everything or nothing In the last eight they have killed eight waterpower development bills that were fair both to the corporations and O the public What the people need IS waterpower development equitable terms without further delay. They what they want by letting the house know it.