Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1916-06-02
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Ev HUGH l. COOPER. Q Keoku&
keOkuk Dam.
TX AND THE MAN WHO BUILT II.

servation. they have been locked out
Of use by inadequate laws. American
capital and investors have sought to
develop the water powers and estab-
fish the new Industries dependent upon
cheap power, which would make us
free of the Chilean monopoly, but the
| laws have said mo" To induce in
vestment in these industries investors
must have assurance of reasonable Sc
curity and some hope of fair return or
profit. and the laws deny either the
security or hope of return.
To no class Of American citizens does
| this situation come home so closely.
perhaps, as to the farmers. There Is
absolutely no relief in sight from the
high prices of fertilizers or for fertiliz.
ers at all, except through development
Of cheap water powers.
Not only does the water power ques-
ton affect the future of fertilizer sup
ply and prices, but 1t is closely related
to the labor question. For several
years farm labor has been increasingly
expensive and hard to secure. Immi-
grafton has stopped and is not likely to
be resumed for years or generations to
come. Europe will need all the men
she has left after the war. Conserva.
| ton of American labor means abolish
ment Of unnecessary work and the re-
leasing Of workmen for better occupa
! tons.
Our UndeveIeped Water Power.
The United States figures show that
there is now undeveloped in this coun-
| try about 35.O00.OOO horsepower of wa.
ter power. TO develop and use even
half of this means conserving the labor
| Of 100000 men now employed in coal
mining. If applied to furnish power
for present uses 1t would relieve the
railroads Of the United States of the
necessity Of transporting more than
100000 tons of coal year, most Of
it for their own use.
Electrif1cation of the railroads means
better and cheaper transportation. To
bring 100000 men from the bowels of
the earth and put them to work in the
| sunshine. in factories and on the farms.
means not only new supply Of farm
and manufacturing labor, but lettering
the condition Of these men and making
this country better place to live in
from every human point of view.
But to get these results, to get any
development and use Of water power
re first must have federal legislation
hat will open the water powers to
limit fn hn nj n.
+ day passed the Shields bill by a
0te of 46 to %. This measure gives
later power companies the right un-
Ter careful restrictions to dam naviga.
lie streams and build power plants
erein. A bill providing for leasing
power sites In the public domain
IS passed the house and is now being
dated in the senate. Certain men
I'd interests are trying to defeat the
lrpose Of this constructive and bene-
.ial legislation by loading 1t up with
workable terms and conditions.
ley are making charges and state
ents, generally vague and containing
ore innuendo than argument. intend
to create suspicion and mistrust
I'd prevent legislation. 1t behooves
re American manufacturer, the Amer.
IN farmer. the American citizen who
IS any direct. indirect or patriotic in
rest in this subject to study this
:,islation for himself and arrive at his
vn conclusions.
A Suggestion to Citizens.
Instead of taking the opinion Of
melody else ! urge every interested
tlzen to write to his congressman in
ashington for copies of the Shields
il and the Myers bill and read them
srefully. thoroughly, impartially and
:itically. After reading these meas.
res and making up his mind as to
heir merits. ! urge him to write his
representative in congress exactly
What he thinks of them. demanding
leir passage if he thinks them good
ills, and their defeat if he thinks them
lad bills.
i. !. s. $4,000
Secretary Lane ON Water Power.
Under existing conditions. due large.
" to inadequate laws relating to
the matter. a condition of stagnation
exists, and water power resources are
not being used. Existing law is not
fitted for the uses to which it is put
There is that mystifying
miracle of drawing nitrogen from the
air for chemical use. which can be
done only with great power, but is be
ing done in Germany. Norway. Sweden
France. Switzerland and elsewhere, by
which an ineXhaustible substitute for
the almost exhausted nitrates of Chile
has been found. To increase the yield
Of our farms and to give US an indie.
pendent and adequate supply OF nitro.
gen for the explosives used in war we
must set water wheels at work that
will fix nitrogen in lime. Franklin K.
Lane, Secretary Of the interior.